Durban - Chatsworth’s Higginson Highway Durban bound has been re-opened to traffic,on Thursday, between Moorton and Croftdene four months after the road surface collapsed.
Omi Nair, a community activist, who was at the re-opening said they could see how horrendous the traffic snarl-up and the snaking queues through the suburb were from a bridge above the Shallcross and Chatsworth interchange.
In April, an underground stormwater culvert which travels from the Chatsworth Stadium, under the Higginson Highway, then towards the Bottlebrush Informal settlement was damaged. This resulted in the road surface collapsing above it near the Link Road bridge forcing authorities to close the arterial route to Durban.
EThekwini municipality spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela explained that the culvert under the highway had a structural failure. The culvert was 13 meters below road level.
"Structural work on the culvert was undertaken. A few informal settlements that are on the road verge were relocated. The estimated costs of the repairs are R6.5 million, "Mayisela said.
The blame lay squarely on petty criminals who decided to dig up the culvert to steal metal but unfortunately when this culvert was built some 45 years ago, no steel was used but just solid concrete
Since April, motorists had to use alternative routes through Chatsworth's suburbs. The road also services the suburbs of Shallcross, Klaarwater, Demat, St Wendolins Ridge, Mariannridge, Nagina and KwaNdengezi.