Overview

The Transport, Roads and Stormwater section is primarily responsible for the maintenance of roads, streets, bridges, sidewalks and Stormwater systems and infrastructure in accordance with laid down maintenance programs, standards and transport management.  The responsibilities cover the following:

• Manage the planning, design and construction of extensions, upgrading and modifications to the transport, roads and Stormwater infrastructure to ensure operational efficiency and sustainability;
• Manage the construction and maintenance of transport, roads and Stormwater infrastructure;
• Perform infrastructure management
• Render management and line function administrative support services.

Key Performance Areas

Roads Paved (Bitumen, concrete, paving)

The implementation of a Rural Road Asset Management System (RRAMS), using a visual assessment forms the basis of evaluating of the condition of the road network and the need for specific actions.  The collected information is processed to provide the output for top management for strategic planning and budgeting purposes as well as for maintenance engineers for tactical planning and execution purposes.

This report presents a network level proposal for maintaining the roads in the area through an assessment of the network based on methodical visual ratings of each pavement section.

Different road sections require different types of maintenance varying from preventative maintenance, special maintenance to rehabilitation. Possible project types range from routine maintenance (e.g. patching and resurfacing), to special maintenance (e.g. replacing of surface) through to rehabilitation (e.g. thick overlays and reconstruction of pavement layers). With the limited funds available it is important that these funds be spent at the right place at the right time to ensure optimum use of funds. The use of RRAMS is generally accepted as essential for determining the maintenance and upgrading needs/programs for pavements in a network of roads.

These programs provide a good assessment of the total funds required to meet the maintenance needs of the network and, in most cases, of the type of maintenance required. The needs of individual projects should, however, be verified by further investigation to allow for additional unrecorded factors.

The total length of the paved network is 155.8km (142.7km tar, 13.1km block aving and 0.6km concrete pavements) with an estimated replacement value of R383.5 million. The average condition of the network can be rated as fair to poor, with 5% of the surfacing and 12% of the structure in the poor to very poor category.

The RRAMS is limited to road visual condition assessment and does not cover the minimum requirements of each class of the road.  The municipality is in a process to develop a Roads Management Plan (master plans), which will cover the audits of each road and budget required to cover the implementation of roads minimum requirements.

Construction and rehabilitation of streets are being implemented according to the Integrated Development Plan (IDP).

Roads Unpaved (Gravel, dirt)

RRAMS is essentially a network level tool which covers the visual conditions assessment of gravel roads as well. Visual assessments form the basis of the evaluation of the condition of the road network and the need for specific actions. The collected information is processed to provide the output for top management for strategic planning and budgeting purposes as well as for maintenance engineers for tactical planning and execution purposes.

Different road sections may require different types of maintenance varying from normal and special, to scheduled maintenance. Possible project types can include one or more of the following - blading, reshaping, reworking, re-graveling or even upgrading of the road to a higher standard. With the limited funds available it is important that these funds be spent at the right place at the right time to ensure optimum use of funds. The use of RRAMS is generally accepted as essential for determining the maintenance and upgrading needs/programmes for roads in a network.

These programs provide a good assessment of the total funds required to meet the maintenance needs of the network and, in most cases, of the type of maintenance required. The needs of individual projects should, however, be verified by further investigation to allow for additional unrecorded factors.

The total unpaved network is 19.6km of which 17.7km are gravel roads and the rest can be defined as dirt roads.  The average condition of the unpaved network can be rated as good to fair with only 16% of the roads in the poor to very poor category.

Storm water

The Storm water division is primarily responsible for the maintenance and construction of storm water infrastructure within the Bitou Municipal jurisdiction.

The division is in a process of developing a Storm water Master Plan which will assist the Municipality to properly plan for any disasters such as flooding, property damages and loss of life due to uncontrolled run-off. As well as to design and construct suitable infrastructure that will be efficient, effective and that is economical.

Currently the division is making use in-house team as a mechanism of maintaining the infrastructure, making sure that properties and roads in particular are not damaged due to un-drained run-off causing traffic delays and inconveniences, and minimizing danger to vehicles and people.  Seasonally, SMME contractors are appointed to assist with blocked Stormwater drainage and cleaning of kerb and channels.

Much of the work carried out by the departmental relates to the following activities:

• Unblocking of storm water drainage system
• Replacement of missing manhole covers
• Maintaining the entire infrastructure (storm water)
• Cleaning and rehabilitation of the storm water system and culverts
• Replacing broken pipes and catch pit inlets and manhole slabs and covers.
• Installing new storm water systems, construction of open channels and sub-soil drains etc.
• the need to protect the health, welfare and safety of the public, and to protect property from flood hazards by safely routing and discharging storm water from developments
• the quest to improve the quality of life of affected communities
• the opportunity to conserve water and make it available to the public for beneficial uses
• the responsibility to preserve the natural environment

The main challenges this division is faced with:

• Illegal dumping of refuse in storm water outlets/inlets, open channels and manholes
• Damages to infrastructure e.g. broken manhole lids, kerb inlets damaged by vehicles etc.

Bitou is made up of ± 79 km of buried storm water infrastructure and a number of open channels.