A region-based potholes repair plan focusing on potholes and patches repair, reinstatements and cleaning of kerb inlets swung into action late last month and will last until June 15, according to information released by the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA).
“The JRA manages over 10 000 kilometres of road network, most of it older than 30 years, which is usually a design life span for urban roads,” a spokesman points out. “The condition of many of the roads across the network ranges from poor to very poor, and they require major rehabilitation and/or reconstruction. The lack of adequate drainage infrastructure in many parts of the city, particularly in townships, has compromised the performance of most of the roads. The undesirable state of the roads has also been worsened by the recent heavy rains,” the spokesman said.
In order to determine the state of the roads, the JRA periodically conducts visual conditions assessments (VCAs) which are used as the basis for determining the maintenance and upgrade activities required. The recent VCA results show that the city needs to invest substantially on long-term interventions in the form of roads resurfacing and reconstruction.
“Ageing infrastructure and funding constraints for overall infrastructure upgrade over the years have made maintenance and repairs of existing infrastructure more complex – but informed by the VCAs, the JRA has identified critical roads that require resurfacing and reconstruction and some of these road upgrades are already under implementation.”
Details of the roads affected are available on the JRA website.
