Owing to the structural integrity of 9th Avenue – the road linking Weltevreden Park and Fairland – being compromised, it was closed for traffic this past weekend after the F46 Rand Water pipeline contractor, Maziya General Services, realised that the road was on the brink of collapse.
The Northsider conducted a site visit with Ward 126 councillor David Brand and the site engineers who elaborated on the decision to close the road, a move that has inconvenienced numerous vehicle drivers who now have to take a detour to get to Fairland or Weltevreden Park.
Brand tackled the questions regarding the closure. “The contractors performed pipe jacking underneath the bridge. When they tried to open up and join the pipe, the part that was not gunited (protected) started to fall apart because of the underground water from the wetland seeping through, causing some cracks on the road surface. This forced them to close the road,” he explained.
He added that last week’s rain rubbed salt into the wounds. “The rain together with the water in the wetland caused major problems. The water has been streaming out continuously, even when it did not rain,” he explained.
Brand also alluded that the results would have been far better had the road been closed when excavations started. “If this road had been closed, there would have been no need for pipe jacking as they would have been able to dig a trench across the road and install the pipe from above ground. The result would have been much better compared to working in difficult conditions under pressure to keep the road open,” he pointed out.
He further explained that they will now be able to work at a much faster pace; however, the underground water will remain an obstacle.
“The contractor is currently working at a depth of eight metres, which is below what used to be the Haak en Steek Dam level,” said Brand, providing evidence of the extent of the underground water crisis.
At this stage the contractor is unable to commit to a completion date due to the obstacles they are facing.
Any inquiries relating to the F46 Rand Water pipeline project can be addressed to the Rand Water Resident Engineer, Lizwe Sibanda by email L.Sibanda@lidwala.com.
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