REPAIRS are underway after heavy rains caused extensive damage to tar and gravel roads across the Kouga region last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe rain was a blessing, but it also had a devastating impact on our roads,\u201d said Executive Mayor Horatio Hendricks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Mayor joined road repair teams at Jeffreys Bay and Humansdorp this past week to assess the extent of the damage and determine how repairs could be fast-tracked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat we found is that the municipality has enough tar in stock but not enough road staff to complete repairs within a reasonable time,\u201d Hendricks said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe will, therefore, be appointing a contractor to handle some of the work and have also requested additional manpower through the Community Works Programme to strengthen our road teams and to speed up repairs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said the damage was made worse by years of neglect by previous Councils to maintain the region\u2019s internal road network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe lifespan of a road is only about 20 to 25 years, then it has to be rebuilt. Roads also have to be resealed at least once every seven years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMost roads in Kouga are far older than 25 years and have never been resealed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis means that the entire road network actually needs to be rebuilt and that filling potholes is simply a temporary fix for a far more serious problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaker Hattingh Bornman, who joined the Mayor for the oversight visit, said securing external funding to upgrade Kouga\u2019s roads was essential.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt costs about R4,5 million to build one kilometre of road. The municipality simply does not have the budget to rebuild the entire network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe are, therefore, exploring all avenues to source funding for a long-term solution to Kouga\u2019s road problem,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Mayor said the condition of gravel roads was also a matter of great concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur current budget is very limited; hence, our immediate focus will be on grading the main gravel roads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe expect to be able to release more funding for gravel roads in February, at which time the municipality will expand the repair programme.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" REPAIRS are underway after heavy rains caused extensive damage to tar and gravel roads across the Kouga region last 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