A local botany student recently raised concerns over the construction and maintenance of a gravel road on the outskirts of Stellenbosch, which has allegedly been repeatedly eroded by rain in the last month.
Brian du Preez, a final-year PhD botany student, recently raised concerns regarding the state of a road above the Botmaskop plantation. Du Preez is of the view that the road has been dug too deep into the surface and that this has caused erosion. PHOTO: Jamie Venter
This is according to Brian du Preez, a final-year PhD botany student at the University of Cape Town, who is currently based at Stellenbosch University.
The road is located above the Botmaskop plantation. During one of his regular walks in the area, Du Preez noticed “that the road had been scraped and that it was not done properly” and that this has led to erosion, he claimed.
Due to the erosion, “more regular scraping is needed to keep the roads in a usable condition, at a massive cost, compared to if the roads are correctly built and maintained”, according to Du Preez.
When scraping the road, the contractors “dig too deep and sink the road surface well below the surrounding area, which makes digging furrows for drainage very difficult”, claimed Du Preez.
“It’s time that we explore this wasteful expenditure,” wrote Brian du Preez, a final-year PhD botany student, on his Facebook page. This post was in reference to the maintenance and construction of the road above the Botmaskop plantation. PHOTO: Jamie Venter
An ongoing problem
“I first noticed the road had been scraped on 10 June,” said Du Preez. “I returned on 21 June after the heavy rains to find erosion in places up to 30 cm deep, where the scraping had taken place.”
Du Preez then lodged a complaint to Stellenbosch Municipality via their Let’s Fix It Whatsapp line. When Du Preez returned to the location on 24 June, the road had been scraped again.
According to Du Preez, the roads have been turned “essentially into canals that funnel the water, causing severe erosion”. He claims that this is because of the deep digging that has happened.
A road above the Botmaskop plantation has been severely eroded due to heavy rains and insufficient drainage, according to Brian du Preez, a final-year PhD botany student. PHOTO: Facebook/Brian du Preez
Municipal response
“The road is scraped regularly to ensure that it remains in a good condition,” said Stuart Grobbelaar, spokesperson for Stellenbosch Municipality, via email correspondence with MatieMedia.
Winter rains cause damage to the road and lead to soil erosion, “especially after heavy downpours, as we experienced during that particular week in June”, stated Grobbelaar. “The gravel road is also on a steep slope, which can exacerbate the problem,” he added.
“The road [above the Botmaskop plantation] is scraped regularly to ensure that it remains in a good condition,” said Stuart Grobbelaar, spokesperson for Stellenbosch Municipality. Winter rains cause erosion of the road, he stated. PHOTO: Jamie Venter
Why drainage is important
“Ultimately, the drainage is extremely important for a gravel road,” said Sean Barnes, a senior technologist in transportation engineering.
While it is difficult to assess the problem without a site inspection, “if the road is at a steep incline, V drains running down both sides of the road, offshoots to discharge water and rock bolsters to dissipate the energy of the water will reduce erosion”, stated Barnes.
The road cannot continue to be scraped in perpetuity, because “eventually they will be grading away the foundation of the road and then they are just digging a hole”, explained Barnes. “Insufficient drainage will continue to remove that gravel surface.”