A pothole on Ou Kaapse Weg has caused a fair amount of upset, but motorists are assured by the City that it is being dealt with.
Brett Herron, mayoral committee member for transport, said the local roads depot of Transport for Cape Town (TCT), the City’s transport authority, filled the pothole on Thursday, August 11, with a dry mix as a short-term solution.
“Since then the local roads depot has been monitoring the pothole several times a day to do a refill as and when needed. That said, monitoring is impossible after sunset and as such, five warning signs have been installed to warn motorists in advance to slow down.”
He said at this stage the groundwater ingress renders asphalt repairs ineffective.
“The pothole is caused by a seasonal spring which has developed in this location. These springs are temporary in na- ture and usually only occur during the rainy season. This particular spring has persisted and as such, TCT will have to implement a permanent solution as surface repairs have failed more frequently. We have wanted to postpone this work for as long as possible because TCT will have to implement a stop/go-system while the roadworks are being done.”
He said that, given the urgency of the matter, a contractor will be appointed as soon as possible and every effort will be made to minimise disruptions to the flow of traffic.
“At this stage it is envisioned to do the roadworks at night, or at least outside of the peak hour periods to limit disruptions, traffic delays, and traffic congestion on Ou Kaapse Weg as far as possible.”
Ward councillor Felicity Purchase said: “The work required will mean the road must be dug up to re-divert the stream, and stabilise the subsurface. We have tried to avoid this until Main Road was open to two way traffic. However, our engineers will speak to contractors to see how soon we can start. Please be patient through this process. We can’t moan about a pothole and also complain when they are trying to repair it,” she said.
“We are sorry about the inconvenience. Anyone with damage to their car can speak to the City’s insurance department,” Ms Purchase said.
Mr Herron said in the meantime, and until a contractor has been appointed, the City is monitoring the temporary solution as often as possible.
He said TCT requests motorists to call the Transport Information Centre on 0800 65 64 63 as soon as the pothole has formed again.