“Potholes are an indicator of poor maintenance and lack of technical skills and are the tip of the iceberg of South Africa’s infrastructure problems,” says Chris Herold, vice-president of the SA Institute of Civil Engineering, as Gauteng begins to repair road infrastructure damaged by the heavy rains.
Herold said the roads have not been maintained properly for decades and that, when the rain came, infrastructure could not stand the stress.
“Potholes start with cracks on the road surface caused by routine traffic and ageing. Then water penetrates into the subbase and the base underneath the tarmac and gradually forms a pothole,” Herold said.
“The potholes are the tip of the iceberg. “We have a much bigger problem – poor maintenance of all infrastructure; water supply systems, pipes corroding, storm water drainage, sewerage system overloading,” Herold said.
Gauteng Roads and Transport MEC Ismail Vadi said yesterday that the province had had put aside R50-million to fix the damage caused by heavy rains.
“Fortunately, no major provincial road has been washed away,” Vadi said.
Published in Road Construction
http://www.saconstructionnews.co.za/component/k2/4-road/15757-government-puts-aside-r50m-to-fix-damaged-provincial-roads
