{"id":67146,"date":"2022-07-20T09:12:21","date_gmt":"2022-07-20T07:12:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/row-brews-over-m9-deteriorating-state-20220720\/"},"modified":"2025-03-20T15:19:19","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T13:19:19","slug":"row-brews-over-m9-deteriorating-state-20220720","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/row-brews-over-m9-deteriorating-state-20220720\/","title":{"rendered":"Row brews over M9’s deteriorating state"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Who is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the M9 road between the R44 and Winery Road in Firgrove Rural? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This question is being posed to authorities by motorists who frequent the road and demand that the continuous state of deterioration of the road be addressed as a matter of urgency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One such motorist, Johan Jooste, who uses the road frequently and resides at the nearby Schonenberg Estate, said the regular occurrence of accidents on the road is highly concerning. \u201cThe road is totally breaking apart and routine maintenance only consists of patch ups which don\u2019t last. The state of the road is compounded by heavy vehicles using the road to bypass the N2 weighbridge. A long-term solution is required,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like Jooste, several residents at Schonenberg Estate have sent emails and photographic evidence to authorities at the provincial and municipal roads departments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzanne Mostert of the Puddleduck School and Day-care Centre situated along the road has been complaining about the road\u2019s poor condition for many years. She said motorists are suffering with near-daily tyre punctures. \u201cBut we never get any feedback from authorities. We\u2019ve even accompanied officials on inspections and pointed out the problem, but nothing has been done in four years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said a woman had a near fatal accident when the car she was travelling in hit a pothole, causing it to overturn about two weeks ago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is just in the last month,\u201d Mostert said. \u201cThere are so many terrible incidents, many involving elderly people, on this road because of its poor condition.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authority over upkeep is unclear <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n

According to the City of Cape Town, it is responsible for a portion of the road\u2019s upkeep \u2013 the portion of Main Road (M9) between Kirkia Street and the R44. The maintenance responsibility of the remainder of the road must clarified with provincial government and the Cape Winelands District Municipality (CWDM), council said.<\/p>\n

\n

The most recent statistics, last recorded more than two years ago, show that the total two-way traffic recorded along the road amounted to 1\u2009702 vehicles travelling on the road during the morning peak and 1\u2009666 vehicles in the afternoon peak.<\/p>\n

Heavy rains often result in several potholes breaking open and accidents are not uncommon.

<\/p>\n

\n

According to the provincial Department of Transport and Public Works (DTPW), the provincial road was previously maintained by the City as a maintenance agent for the department.<\/p>\n

According to the CWDM it is not responsible for any maintenance of the remaining stretch of road.

<\/p>\n

In email correspondence between a motorist and municipal and provincial officials, it was admitted the road has a complicated history.

<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a complicated history of why this road (and similar others), as a proclaimed provincial road in the metropolitan area, has deteriorated to the condition it currently is in,\u201d reads an email from a district roads engineer.

<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cUnfortunately I am not at liberty to share this history publicly, as it is a confidential matter between the Provincial Roads branch and the City. That said, it is acknowledged that you as road user are entitled to be provided with a road that satisfies at least the minimum requirements in respect of level of service, irrespective of any historical complications.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maintenance measure short-term <\/h3>\n
\n

CWDM goes on to state that maintenance actions are of short-term effectiveness as the road has deteriorated to such a condition that renders routine road maintenance ineffective, and that \u201cbetterment maintenance\u201d of a higher level is a work in progress, and a commitment to timelines cannot be declared.<\/p>\n

Jandr\u00e9 Bakker, DTPW spokesperson said only that the department had sent its own resources and maintenance teams to conduct interim maintenance after the previous winter rains in the area, without expanding on much of the concerns raised by residents. \u201cMaintenance interventions have been identified for this road and it is anticipated it will be implemented in the current Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF),\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
Rob Quintas, Mayoral Committee member for Urban Mobility, said the municipal urban mobility directorate last week inspected the road to assess its road resurfacing and\/or rehabilitation candidate status for possible inclusion in the 2022-\u201923 budget. \u201cThis, however, constitutes only a very short segment of the overall road length,\u201d he warned.

<\/p>\n

Quintas said the ultimate design and plan for Old Main Road (DR1012) is to be a dual-carriageway road, because it is a Class 3 road. \u201cThis will happen over time to coincide with new developments. There are also plans to have a section of the road between Winery Road and the R102 duelled as new developments are being implemented.\u201d

<\/p>\n

\n

Upon enquiry, the CWDM said its Technical Services Department had confirmed it is not responsible for the maintenance of the road in question.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cIn the past four years nothing has been done to this road, and all this talk of leaving tax- and ratepaying motorists the victims appears to be no more than a \u2018political squabble\u2019,\u201d stated Jooste.<\/p>\n

In a bid to address the state of the road, Ward 15 Councillor Gregory Peck has been engaging various officials on the matter since 2018. He stated it is now essential that the road be resurfaced or rebuilt.

<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I have written to the DTPW many times, this road is now a very busy one used by Somerset West residents on their way to Cape Town and those residing in the new developments of Sitari, The Huntsman and Acorn Creek to Somerset West and Stellenbosch,\u201d Peck explained.

<\/p>\n

\u201cSince it is used by many heavy-duty vehicles and Golden Arrow buses from Macassar to Somerset West, I trust this road will be attended to as soon as possible. It is a danger to the public to use this road [as it currently is].\u201d <\/div>\n
\n
The Directorate inspected the road to assess resurfacing and\/or rehadbilitation in the 2022-\u201923 budget <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Who is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the M9 road between the R44 and Winery Road in Firgrove 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brews over M9's deteriorating state | DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/row-brews-over-m9-deteriorating-state-20220720\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Row brews over M9's deteriorating state\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Who is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the M9 road between the R44 and Winery Road in Firgrove Rural?.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/row-brews-over-m9-deteriorating-state-20220720\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" 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