On Tuesday 6 September, the Western Cape Minister of Infrastructure, Tertuis Simmers, officiated the official reopening of Spine Road to public use, following devasting floods in June. Construction to fix the road started within 3 days of it being washed away, and took a total of 6 weeks to be repaired. Commuters are once again using this well-trafficked route to get to work, visit friends and family.
Spine Road was closed to the public due to 20 metres of roadway that was washed away by the June rainstorm. Spine Road plays an integral role on the socio-economic front, as it is a link between communities and suburbs, such as Khayelitsha, Blue Downs, Mfuleni and Kuilsriver, to the economy.
Based on the 2017 traffic counts, the traffic on Spine Road (i.e. AM Peak Hour) is 1 337 vehicles/hour. Economically it provides employees and job seekers access to the Blackheath industrial hub, as well as transportation of services and goods between the national highway, the N2, and these suburbs.
A budget of R2 million was made available for the Emergency Flood Damage Repair project. The project included the repair of telecommunication cables and ducts, as well as new road markings. The new pavement is founded on rockfill, with new pavement layers as well as installation of rip rap, that will help mitigate future erosion. There is also a reinstatement of guardrails and new road studs.
Provincial Minister of Infrastructure said: “As a government, we are adamant to keep our infrastructure in top condition. When something like this happens, we do not let it go to rot – we fix it, and we fix it with speed, because we know our residents are counting on us to make sure the province functions very well. This road doesn’t only link three sub-councils but also acts as a gateway to schools, economic and job opportunities in the surrounding suburbs and business parks. It was for this reason construction commenced within three days of the road being washed away.”
The reopening of Spine Road has seen the resumption of commuter movement and alleviated traffic congestion on the alternative side road.
