MAKHADO (LOUIS TRICHARDT) – Rivers of tar bleeding around potholes in a tar road that has just been rehabilitated ... not exactly a sight of quality work.

Alarmed residents realised that the road rehabilitation project in town does not seem successful, even to the untrained eye.

Makhado Municipality’s Director of Technical Services, Mr Masindi Mapholi, said on Monday that he is definitely aware of the problems concerning Grobler, Kruger and Vaal Streets.

“The rehabilitation of these roads was a project of around R2,5 million. The project has not been finally handed over yet. The retention money that we have held back amounts to R500 000.”

Mr Mapholi said that one problem was that heavy vehicles swept off the top layers of the road.

“That road was not made to carry those particular loads. The engineers knew that those areas would be used by trucks.” He admitted that there was a problem with the specifications.

“I am not saying that I am condoning the workmanship a hundred percent,” Mr Mapholi said, but he said that there were other factors involved as well.

The newly rehabilitated base of the roads eroded with the rainy season in the beginning of the year. A new base was constructed.

“The road is not cracking. The problem is with the top part. The layer should have a thickness of 160mm but it is only about half of that,” Mr Mapholi said.

The bleeding road could be traced to the specification of the client, is the opinion of the director of Megarank Joint Ventures, Mr A S Radzilani. He said that the specifications did not take the hot climate into account. Megarank is the main contractor for the project and subcontracted the sealing to African Surfaces, directed by Mr Hennie Botes. Mr Radzilani said that Mr Botes carried out the specifications of the consulting engineer.

The consulting engineers are Rendeals4. A director, Mr Goddard Masiavhula, declined divulging any information unless it was given in a formal meeting with the client and the contractor.

When Mr Mapholi was asked whether the R500 000 would be enough to repair all the damage, he replied in the affirmative and also referred to the maintenance budget.

“Our contingency plans are to use the retention money to finally solve the problem. The project should be completed by end of November,” Mapholi said.

The Burger Street resealing was not given out on contract but done internally by the municipality. They are aware that the road appears to be blowing up and forming bubbles.

“This is not a case of poor workmanship. We suspect that there could have been a problem with the type of material that was used. We sent out a specialist to investigate and will have the answer within a week or so,” Mr Mapholi said.