Entering Lenasia Extension 9 has become a frustrating nightmare for its residents.
Previously, they’d enter or exit through three roads joining the R554 Regional Route.
Presently, only one transit - Capella Street (near Trade Route Mall) - is in a drivable condition. The other two entry-exit roads - Scorpio Drive and Arcturus Street - are virtually inaccessible.
The more popular and preferred Scorpio Drive access point is completely off-limits, with sand mounds and rubble barricading that vital intersection to the R554. Many motorists are forced to use a dusty and bumpy, stone-ridden, makeshift road alongside the crossway in order to enter or depart Extension 9 there.
So why is it like this? According to a well-respected, patriarchal Extension 9 citizen - Jakes Karolia - the problem began at last year’s beginning when the Department of Roads & Transport commenced a full-scale resurfacing of this portion of the R554 motorway, which runs parallel to Extension 9 and enables access to Lenasia from the east. Karolia is a senior member of the recently-formed Greater Lenasia Residents Forum (GLRF), a civic body that champions all vital concerns affecting Lenasians. Its current Chairman is Yousuf Choonara. Jakes Karolia also represents its Extension 9 chapter and he’s been relentless in urging government to expedite completion of the R554’s resurfacing.
He and many other residents feel the contractor - Boitshoko Road Surfacing & Civil Works - are “now taking too long” to complete the resurfacing.
Another un-named resident expressed the overwhelming sentiment of the Extension 9 community by stating: “The road was incompetently and unnecessarily dug up. The existing (R554) road (near Lenasia) was in a good condition and has been scraped unnecessarily and replaced with temporary tarring which is full of potholes.
“The unnecessary disruption at the messed-up intersections, as well as on the long stretch of road is causing untold delay, frustration, wear and tear, fuel wastage and damage to hundreds of vehicles using this road daily.”
In mid-September, Lenasia Times contacted the project’s CLO Vezi Gxamza for comment and he then stated: “The entire project is ending in November 2021. It was scheduled for 18 months project. The section between Trade Route and Lehae, though, should be complete by end of September 2021.
“There hasn’t been a section neglected. The section between Trade Route Mall to Lehae is almost complete and is awaiting only the final bitumen seal which was never done due to the winter season and cold weather. As communicated above, that should be done and completed by end of September, weather permitting. The majority of the works on the project is now from Golden Highway heading towards Eikenhof-Old Vereegining Road hence why majority of the labourers-plant is now that side.
“Also, the project was cut up into sections from the onset. Sections are as follows: Trade Route Intersection to Capella Drive (Engen Garage robots); Capella Drive to Scorpio Drive; Scorpio Drive to Nirvana Drive (sic Arcturus); Nirvana (sic Arcturus) to Lehae Intersection; Lehae to Golden Highway; Golden Highway to Olifantsvlei Primary; Olifantsvlei to Eldo Coaches Depot; Eldo Coaches Depot to N1 Bridge; N1 to Tony’s Farm/Evergreen; Evergreen to Jacksonville Informal Settlement; Jacksonville to Old Vereeniging. If you had paid careful attention to the project, you’d have noticed that the project was run piecemeal, i.e., it was divided into sections and not done all at one go.
“Furthermore, I’m not aware of any funding shortages. The contractor runs the project by completing works, and submitting a certificate of works done for the month and the client – Department of Roads & Transport - pays for each certificate submitted, i.e., it pays for works done for each month. The project is worth R97-million, to date the contractor has claimed a little over half of the full value of the project done.”
Though an old thoroughfare (which is what’s cited as reason for the entire surface replenishment), the R554 once provided a pleasant drive. There was sufficiently wide two-way traffic flow, enabling motorists’ quick access to the eastern parts of southern Johannesburg and Gauteng.
Today however, it’s in a terrible state. Only a small narrow section of the west-bound lane is in acceptable driving condition. If you travel east, you’d have to persevere along a tiny sliver of tarmac, strewn with potholes, causing slow speeds and massive traffic delays on a daily basis. The southern stretch of the R554 near Extension 9 (what was once the spacious westbound lane) is completely closed off, littered with boulders and stones.
It has no doubt become one of the most infuriating drives in all of Lenasia at present!
Monday, 4th October meeting
As has been read above, CLO Vezi Gxamza said, weather-permitting, the Extension 9 section of the R554 would have been completed by September. This clearly did not happen and the entry points are still inaccessible with the road still hazardous to drive on. There were even reports of an accident on that stretch of the R554, on Saturday evening 2nd October, where several babies were injured in an alleged head-on collision blamed on poor road lane markings there.
Lenasia Times were in attendance and the videos below disclose what was said by the various stakeholders present.
Amongst them were the contractor’s Phuthuna Lawana who, in response to pertinent questions posed by Lenasia Ward 9 Councillor Imraan Moosa, said that at the end of tomorrow’s business day the Scorpio Drive entry point would finally be re-opened.
Lawana also said that before next Friday (15th October), the entire stretch from Capella to Arcturus Street (including Scorpio Drive) would be completed thus bringing an end to the nightmare for residents and visitors to Extension 9.
Photos & Videos: Abdullah Visage
Videos of today's meeting can be seen at these links:
https://youtu.be/Qlwz9mXOybg
https://youtu.be/zuze9DFBHrw
https://youtu.be/r4a9ihjituY
Videos of today's meeting can be seen at these links:
https://youtu.be/Qlwz9mXOybg
https://youtu.be/zuze9DFBHrw
https://youtu.be/r4a9ihjituY
