HRA updates from Roads Task TeamN3 South Bound at Town Hill
Here is a report prepared under the direction of the HRA Roads Task Team dealing with the necessary upgrade of the alternate route to the N3 south at Town Hill.
The upgrade of the alternate route is being dealt with through detailed discussions with SANRAL in respect of the involvement of all interested and affected parties.
Cuckoo Lane
Representatives of the Task Team have carried out informal inspections of the Cuckoo Lane contract over the last few months. At all stages it was noted that procedures and construction methods have not been carried out in accordance with good engineering practice. The HRA has received specialist geotechnical advice, and a report from local resident and farmer Grant Roodt expressing particular concerns regarding safety and negative ecological impacts. The HRA will submit a detailed technical report with appropriate recommendations to Councillor Pam Passmoor and to the municipality.
Representatives of the Task Team have carried out informal inspections of the Cuckoo Lane contract over the last few months. At all stages it was noted that procedures and construction methods have not been carried out in accordance with good engineering practice. The HRA has received specialist geotechnical advice, and a report from local resident and farmer Grant Roodt expressing particular concerns regarding safety and negative ecological impacts. The HRA will submit a detailed technical report with appropriate recommendations to Councillor Pam Passmoor and to the municipality.
In its current condition the road may not be fit for purpose and may be unsafe. Consequences are almost certainly wasted expenditure and an extended period when further will be required.
Electricity Update from Rob Maitland-Stuart
Two out of the three cable sections in each of the two 33kV feeders (A & B) that supply Crossways S/S from Retief S/S in Pmb, have been upgraded from the previous smaller 95mm² 3-core cables to the 630mm² 3 x 1-core equivalent. These upgraded cables are now aligned in terms of power flow capability, to the overhead line sections that were upgraded some 7 – 8 years ago. This is a big step forward in getting our 33kV supply network strengthened and made more reliable. However, I must caution the Hilton residents of a perception doing the rounds on social media, indicating that our supply problems between Retief and Crossways substations are now a thing of the past. This is simply not true. Until the remainder (1.2kM approx.) of the old 95mm² 3-core cables between Retief S/S and Quarry Rd in Pmb are also upgraded to the 630mm² 3 x 1-core equivalent, the situation remains unchanged, as this cable section now becomes the weakest link, i.e., both 33kV feeders (A & B) must be in service to support the Hilton load. Should one of these feeders fail, the other will trip on overcurrent, necessitating the implementation of load reduction in the Hilton area to limit the load on the one 33kV feeder until the fault on the other has been located and repaired.
Furthermore, and resulting from the recent and prolonged outages in the Winterskloof area over the last 7 - 10 days, a meeting has been arranged with the Msunduzi MM and reps from the Electricity Unit to discuss ways of expediting the upgrade of the respective 11kV cables out of Crossways S/S regarding the two feeders concerned. Added to that approach would also be the replacement of the entire 11kV switchboard at Crossways substation itself, following the catastrophic failure of one of the 11kV breakers in the existing switchboard this past Saturday.
Volunteer Recruitment
Your HRA is eager to grow active committee members, any Hilton resident who has the time to volunteer for any of our various portfolios is encouraged to connect with Mike Tarr on 082 568 8246 or Shay Mauck on 082 551 4106.
Membership
If you have not done so already, please consider joining the Hilton Ratepayers’ Association, click here. Please encourage others to do the same. The stronger the support we receive, the more effective we can be. Click here to apply for membership.
Yours Sincerely,