Roads works which were delayed due to a shortage of bitumen have now resumed as of mid-August says The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA). Bitumen – an oil-based, semi liquid substance which is used in the production of the asphalt mix for road surface construction – was in short supply as all refineries were undergoing routine maintenance.
JRA Acting Managing Director Mpho Kau said the availability of bitumen is good news for service delivery. “The countrywide temporary shortage of bitumen hampered JRA’s road resurfacing programme and the patching of roads. Pothole repairs were not affected as cold mix is used for this purpose. Now that our bitumen supplies have resumed again, the JRA will continue to fulfill its mandate as the City of Johannesburg’s roads authority. Specifically, the vigorous citywide roads resurfacing programme will be resumed as part of the JRA’s commitment to enhancing the quality of roads within the City,” stated Mpho Kau.
The JRA has improved the quality of the City’s roads in the past financial year through the road resurfacing, rehabilitation and reconstruction programmes – over R300 million was spent on resurfacing 675 lane kilometers of roads in 7 Regions combined. The estimated road length to be resurfaced in the 2015/16 financial year is 438.6 kilometers, at a budgeted amount of R221 million. Additionally, R140 million has been set aside for roads rehabilitation and reconstruction across the 7 regions of the City in the 2015/16 financial year. In total, the JRA has been allocated an operating budget of R943 million and a capital budget of R1.4 billion to advance the road infrastructure development within the City of Johannesburg.
Some of the major routes scheduled for a facelift are Mpumelelo Street and Wimbledon Road in Region G, Bertrams Road, Columbine Avenue and Bezuidenhout Street in Region F, Capricorn Drive and Bryntirrold Drive in Region E as well as JB Marks Street and Riverside Road in Region A, to mention a few.
“The JRA would like to reassure residents that the entity is committed to rendering visible service delivery across the City of Johannesburg, and with the resumption of bitumen supplies, the JRA will continue delivering on its mandate to provide quality roads that are accessible, safe and liveable for our communities,” concluded Kau.
