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12 April 2022 Media Release: Saasveld road construction is nearing completion

Media Release: Saasveld road construction is nearing completion

For immediate release
12 April 2022

Good progress is being made on repairs of Madiba Drive, also known as Saasveld road. Months of earth-and foundation work have been done by the Garden Route District Municipality’s (GRDM) Roads Services.  Ten Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP)  contract workers are appointed to assist with the project. The work is performed using in-house resources, personnel, and EPWP contract workers. The Saasveld road has been inaccessible since November’s flash flood last year.

Earlier this year, the old Armco structure under the road was removed, and the work area was accessed. Approximately 600 m3 of material had to be excavated to reach the bottom of the pipe and to lay the 200 mm diameter pipe (bypass pipe) in order to prevent the trench from flooding.

On Tuesday, 1 March 2022, a further 600 mm was excavated due to the wetness of the in-situ material. The GRDM Construction Team had sourced more materials to strengthen the bedding before they could lay off the 1.8 m concrete pipe.

Four to five layers of bedding were constructed; the first was rock-filled, the second was gravel material mixed with cement, and the third, the laying of the pipes.

 

Pipe laying commenced on 4 April 2022.  Mr John G Daniels, Executive Manager of the GRDM Roads Services and the Portfolio Chairperson of Roads and Transport Services, Alderman Petru Terblanche, were on-site to witness the laying of the first pipe.  The anticipated date to finish laying all the pipes is 14 April 2022.  Upon completion, in-situ material mixed with cement will be used as a cradle to support the pipes and bulk backfilling to 300 mm below road level will commence.  Three layers will then be constructed; 150 mm of sub-base, 150 mm of base course and the surface layer.

According to Mr Lungisa Qendu, Senior Engineering Technician on the construction site, they have already laid six units.  “The in-situ material has been taken to the laboratory for testing, and other materials are currently in the procurement process,” said Qendu.

Mr Qendu further explained that the team’s aim and priority are to lay all pipes, backfill, and open the road as soon as possible.  Activities like headwalls and gabions will not affect road users as these are outside the roadway.

The road closure has caused inconvenience to regular users of the road who has to make use of alternative routes. We thank them for their patience and assure them that we are doing everything possible to have the route reopened as soon as possible.

Click on the link below for a short video of on-site operations.