Durban – Work to restore normality and services to areas that were devastated by floods continued in uMlazi with the eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda reopening the R102 (South Coast Road) on Saturday.
The R102 is a busy road and the city said it is used by more than 2 000 motorists every hour.
Repairs to the road were necessary after it was badly damaged during last year’s April flood disaster. This resulted in traffic congestion as there was only one lane coming out of uMlazi.
As part of the upgrade, the pavement was widened to ensure the safety of pedestrians.
Kaunda said with the completion of the project, traffic congestion will be eased. He said the project contributed immensely to job creation.
“There was a concerted effort to create job opportunities for local businesses and to employ local labour from uMlazi. Locals were also empowered through skills development on the project. We had a good relationship with the stakeholders involved to ensure maximum local community involvement,” he said.
The City said while the road belongs to the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport (DOT), the City oversaw the repairs because of a memorandum of agreement signed between eThekwini Municipality and the DOT.
Repair work that has been completed includes the lower subbase layer, upper subbase layer, the laying of additional gabion baskets as erosion protection, the laying of 300mm thick gabion reno-mattress as erosion protection, installation of guardrails, installation of kerb and channel, and the construction of new sidewalk.
As an additional precautionary measure, the team added more gabions on the side of the road to ensure that it does not again suffer extensive damage in the event of flooding, said the City in a statement.
