Two weeks of continuous rain across the Helderberg has resulted in an inundation of potholes affecting several roads, but repairs can be done only once the wet weather has slightly alleviated.
However, temporary repairs are being carried out as it is needed.
Some motorists have reported near-accidents and minor damage to vehicles, as most roads affected by potholes were worsening daily.
Rob Quintas, Mayoral Committee member for Urban Mobility, explained that potholes had developed overnight due to inclement weather conditions during the winter season, exacerbated by severe weather conditions currently being experienced.
“The City of Cape Town does temporary repairs during these conditions until such time the weather permits the execution of a more permanent repair,” he said.
“After each rainy day the depot’s route patrols carry out temporary repairs on high trafficked roads. Rest assured our teams are on high alert in these threatening times.”
Asked whether some of the main roads can be prioritised, such as the R44 Gordon’s Bay Road where multiple potholes seriously hampers traffic during peak times, Quintas replied that the City has a backlog to the value of billions of rands for road maintenance, resurfacing and rehabilitation when it comes to road rehabilitation projects.
“While the City’s resources remain the same, they are effectively shrinking. The Urban Mobility Directorate is therefore in a constant state of balancing available resources in an ever changing prioritisation of maintenance and rehabilitation.”
The Somerset West district manages approximately 1 600 km of roads which, inter alia, include suburbs such as Strand, Gordon’s Bay, Somerset West, Blue Downs, Mfuleni, Eerste River, Kuils River and more. The current road resurfacing return period is ±1:60 years.
“This district is currently in process of establishing its annual proposed candidate list of roads to be resurfaced during this financial year [2024-’25]. Thus we are currently not in a position to give certainty on which roads will be approved for resurfacing during this financial year until such time as when they are approved,” Quintas related.
“Subsequently, the approved list of candidate roads will be forwarded to subcouncil once the approval process has been concluded. The Somerset West district’s resurfacing projects normally commence during favourable/conducive conditions [outside of winter period].”
Meanwhile, “sinkhole season” has fully arrived in Strand, where just this past week two new sinkholes have appeared along De Villiers Street, which has constantly been a problem, while another sinkhole has formed on the corner of Fagan and Thompson streets.
Zahid Badroodien, Mayoral Committee member for Water and Sanitation, said teams were engaging with the service provider on the work to be undertaken on the section of broken sewer pipeline and when the process can begin.
“The cause of the broken sewer pipe is due to the ageing of infrastructure, and the City is in the process of fixing the sewer pipe during this current financial year.”
He was also asked to comment on two separate portions of the Gordon’s Bay Road, which have been left unrepaired following repairs to pipes. One is situated near the intersection of Gordon’s Bay Road and Rusthof Street, and the other near the intersection of Gordon’s Bay Road with Hibiscus Street. The road, which was only covered with gravel, has worsened, widened and deepened due to the rains.
Badroodien said the Water and Sanitation Directorate is aware of the road-surface conditions that are the result of necessary excavation done during repairs to the bulk-water main.
“The excavation was filled in and the road was repaired temporarily, but the road surface was not permanently reinstated for observation purposes. It was found that no further leaks occurred and the all-clear was given for the permanent reinstatement of the road,” he explained.
“Permanent reinstatement cannot be done readily under the current adverse weather conditions. The Roads Department and the Water and Sanitation Directorate were planning permanent reinstatement when the weather allows for it. Unfortunately the severe rains of the past week impacted the state of the road.”
Council’s maintenance teams are attending to the site regularly, scraping the gravel, replacing and realigning the temporary road signage in the interim, Badroodien added.
V Residents are encouraged to log any complaints regarding potholes posing a risk via the City’s call centre, for the depot to coordinate, prioritise and address. Send an email to contact.us@capetown.gov.za, log it via X by tagging @CityofCT, or phone 0860 103 089 (between 07:30 to 17:00). Once logged, a reference number will be sent to track progress.
