VEREENIGING.- The Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) Executive Mayor, Hassan Mako paid an oversight visit at the Duma Nokwe/Klipriver Drive Intersection in Three Rivers, Vereeniging, that is currently getting durable restoration recently.

Makos’ office said that having observed the deterioration of previous repair work at the intersection formerly known as Houtkop, now Duma Nokwe Road and Klipriver Drive, he made it clear that the rehabilitation of the intersection could not be approached as routine road maintenance.

Mako, it is said, instructed that this time the work must be of a quality that provides a durable, long-term solution.

 The major intersection has traffic that includes heavy vehicles.

“The major intersection cannot be repaired today only to require another major intervention a few years later. Every rand invested in road infrastructure must translate into infrastructure that performs, withstands traffic loading and delivers value over an extended service life,” Mako said.

He then challenged the municipality’s technical team and road engineers to go beyond the conventional approach and identify a construction solution suited to the actual conditions at the intersection.

Following technical assessment, the engineering team opted against a conventional asphalt surface on some critical parts and instead adopted an 80mm-thick interlocking concrete paving system.

 “Unlike a solution that simply restores the road surface, the interlocking paving approach provides a structurally robust wearing surface designed to distribute traffic loads through the interconnected paving units and underlying pavement layers.”

Mako has expressed satisfaction with the standard and quality of work currently taking place at the intersection, while also directing that the high-mast streetlight serving the area be repaired.