R21 Highway falling apart ...

[TwinDisco]

I am not a "road engineer", so please explain how "maintenance" would prevent the top surface from breaking up?

[stof-lappie]

https://topauto.co.za/news/91456/r30...tambo-airport/

[kang]

https://topauto.co.za/news/91456/r30...tambo-airport/

I avoid that road as much as possible. I had no choice but to use that road 6 times since 2022 and I've repaired 4 windscreen chips. The last one was last week Thursday. I get anxiety attacks when I am on that route.

So from the below, does it mean that the road will not be repaired in the other direction?...towards Joburg?

The South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) will soon commence with the reconstruction of 14km of the dilapidated R21 highway from the Pomona Road Interchange close to OR Tambo International Airport, to the Olifantsfontein Road Interchange in the direction of Pretoria.

[280iNyati]

The R21 consisted of 3x packages and I haven't driven the R21 in quite a while and is thus commenting on memory

What I could remember was that in the section between Olifantsfontein and Pomona you could see a lot of base defects and surface defects that had to be repaired, milled out and replaced etc relative to the other two packages. This can be attributed to various factors of which construction is but one

Traffic flow patterns from Olifantsfontein direction Pretoria vs traffic flow patterns Olifantsfontein direction Kempton, Isando and the Industrial areas in the East Rand

Asphalt needs to be rejuvenated during its life cycle otherwise it will lose its properties more rapidly

The ethics, competency, and professionalism of the Consulting Engineers were blatantly brought into disrepute

Mechanical damage to the final wearing course, specifically between Pomona and Atlas I/C and in a lesser effect Voortrekker - scrap metal dealers losing freight etc

Atlas I/C itself and surrounding had a lot of groundwater and drainage issue's

I cannot deny the alleged collusion that is mentioned, however, that does not take away the fact that a lot of good people invested a lot of their time and commitment into that stretch of road, and they don't deserve to be labeled and called names by individuals who have no clue what had to be done in order for all to reap the benefit of a 1st world country road system.

What happens after the road is handed back to the client is out of the Contractors' and Consultants control

[280iNyati]

There is no doubt that the build quality was below par, in some places where the strips of tar has lifted, you can see the old painted markings. Normally if a road is resurfaced, the top layer is skimmed off to get the newly applied tar something to attach to. Obviously this was not done so as to maximize profits for the cadres....! A few truckloads of asphalt, slap it on an old road with as little effort as possible and viola, a new modern toll road that the cadres can milk billions from !!!

Direct "shots" at the Contractor and Consultants ethics or lack thereof

[fralanti]

Laat ek niks sê oor wie aangestel is oor die redo volgens daai artikel nie.

Doen gerus eers jou huiswerk oor die raadgewende ingenieurs wat aangestel is voor jy sulke uitlatings maak.

[JK1]

Unless something has drastically changed in the last few years I can state that the Consulting Engineers contracted by Sanral is not skimping on design and excucution.

We are in-directly involved with the current N2 project in KZN.

There are Consulting Engineers who designed the road widening.

Sanral then appointed another set of Consulting Engineers to supervise the building of the road.

Consultant 2 is now querying some of Consultant 1's designs and will not just sign off on the designs.

One particular area has now been delayed because they are re checking soil conditions ext apart from the designs which they are double checking