Update: Saasveld road construction is nearing completion

Update Video

GEORGE NEWS & VIDEO - Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) issued the following statement on 12 April regarding the repair work on Madiba Drive:

Good progress is being made on repairs of Madiba Drive, also known as Saasveld road.

Months of earth and foundation work has been done by the GRDM Roads Services department. 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 600m3 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, 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.

The team on site.

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. John G Daniels, executive manager of the GRDM Roads Services, and the portfolio chairperson of Roads and Transport Services, Cllr 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.

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 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.

Qendu further explained that the team’s priority is 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.

VIDEO: Roadworks at Saasveld 2022