Cape Town - Vandalism and theft over the Easter weekend have delayed the completion of road repairs in Retreat.
The City said it was maximising working hours to complete repairs to the 990mm diameter bulk sewer main that collapsed in Prince George Drive on March 19.
“Regrettably, with the recent vandalism of the pumps over the Easter weekend, the theft of shoring material, as well as the increased scope of work based on findings when the pipe was fully exposed, mean that the new envisaged date for completion on or near 30 April has been jeopardised. In the meantime, workers will continue to work towards this deadline provided no further challenges are experienced on site,” the City said.
The maintenance crew also reported that a further extension of the excavation was required due to the poor condition of the pipe.
Water and sanitation mayco member Zahid Badroodien said additional assessments were being done.
“This is quite a complex repair exercise, which has to take a number of very important factors into account to ensure the successful execution of the repairs of this large diameter sewer. Stabilising and protecting the site to enable the safety of the repair crew is of paramount importance during the entire project.
“The applied technology to prevent the sewage from entering and contaminating the repair site will considerably assist in reducing moist conditions encountered during excavation and will speed up excavation,” he said.
Cape Times