Repair work on the damaged corrugated iron storm water pipe on Karkloof Road, near Yard 41 in Howick, is expected to commence soon.
A contractor was officially presented to uMngeni Municipality Deputy Mayor Sandile Mnikathi and Hazel Lake District Council on Wednesday.
The project, which is estimated to cost about R9 million, is expected to be completed in six months.
This section of Karkloof Road has suffered structural damage due to the collapsed storm sewer underneath.
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While the uMngeni Municipality said its original plan would have been quicker and cheaper, various estates, homeowners associations and businesses in and around the affected area could not agree on the municipality's plan, which had taken into account costs, diversions and the impact on residents, commuters and businesses.
The preferred option was to temporarily close the road for about three weeks, dig up the old line, and reroute traffic along a short gravel diversion that would run alongside the construction site.
According to Mnikathi, the contractor will replace the existing pipe with a concrete pipe. This will be done by jacking. Mnikathi and Lake said the municipality chose the jacking method because it will cause the least possible disruption.
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They said the road will not be closed, but there will be a stop-and-go system towards the end of the project. The Witness previously reported that Mayor Chris Pappas said the first few months of the project would be spent acquiring pipe and the rest would be spent on construction.
Pappas said the municipality had considered several methods, including pipe jacking, river diversion and replacing the pipe with a culvert.
The municipality worked with various property owners' associations and companies in the affected region and the surrounding area to minimize costs and avoid major detours.
However, some residents are dissatisfied with the decision to jack the pipes, as this would result in higher costs for the municipality.
One of the homeowners on Karkloof Road, who wished to remain anonymous, said he fully supported the municipality's original plan as it would be effective and would be completed in a matter of weeks.
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“However, there are people who were against the municipality's original plan without thinking about the future and financial constraints this will bring to the municipality. I had hoped it would be different, but the road needs to be repaired one way or another,” the homeowner said.
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