Kuyasa Bridge damaged due to erosion two months after being built

Cape Town - What was once a joy for Kuyasa residents is now a concern as their much needed road keeps getting damaged due to erosion.

It’s only been two months since the road linking Nomatse and Ndlulamthi streets in Makhaza was built to make life easier for residents and motorists travelling between two sections in the area. However, the road keeps getting damaged by erosion.

Melody Mbonjani, a resident who uses the road to and from work daily, said at first she was delighted with the development, but little did she know it was going to come with complications that will again make their lives difficult.

‘’My worry now more than anything is that public transport just became scarce again, because motorists can’t trust the structure of the road, fearing it might collapse at any time. I am only hoping for a better resolution by the municipality in fixing this damage with permanent results,’’ she said.

However, the City of Cape Town urged residents in the surrounding areas of Kuyasa to stay clear of the cordoned off area.

According to the City’s Mayco member for Urban Mobility, Rob Quintas, a portion of the embankment slopes of the road eroded away as a result of a sewage spill caused by a blockage in the overloaded sewer system.

‘’The incident was reported to the City of Cape Town and the Roads Infrastructure Management team in the district immediately conducted a site visit and found that a blocked sewer was overflowing into the roadway and that the sewage was flowing down towards a low point in the road.

‘’The sewage spill over-topped the kerb and foot way blockages causing the side slopes of the road to erode. The City’s Water and Sanitation team is, however, currently investigating if there is anything that can be done to mitigate the risk of the sewer blockage re-occurring,’’ he said

Another local resident Remember Maifo, who once expressed his cheer when the road was opened, said he always predicted that the road was somehow going to be affected by erosion caused by sewage leaks.

‘’We won’t blame it on the structure of the road, but we putting the blame on the municipal’s failure to fix sewage leaks. Not only do they damage the road, but they also contribute to poor sanitation in our area,’’ he said.

Quintas further stated: ‘‘the City urges residents in the area to please refrain from dumping solid waste items illegally. If we do not stop illegal dumping into the system, we cannot guarantee that sewer spills in this area will ever stop or even occur less frequently.’’

Weekend Argus