Roads won’t survive climate change without scientific involvement, expert warns

An environmental expert has warned that South Africa's roads, with about 25-million potholes, won’t withstand climate change without scientists being involved in construction. 

Building roads to withstand climate change was a hot topic at the recent seventh South African Roads Federation (SARF) regional conference for Africa in Cape Town. There, environmental scientist and consultant Mervin Olivier warned of the danger of not involving environmental experts at the beginning of infrastructure development.

Olivier told delegates that sustainability was vital at all stages of a project, not just when an environmental impact assessment (EIA) was needed or when construction was under way.

He said an integrated approach at inception would go a long way towards meeting the country's green transport strategy needs. This included a life-cycle assessment and the services of a licensed landscape architect.

“Infrastructure planning and development can play a key role in addressing climate change and, in particular, climate mitigation and adaptation.

“The aim is to design roads that have a protracted life with less oxidation, loss of volatile oils and cracking or deformation.”

According to the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral), the country has the 11th-longest road network in the world, measuring just more than 750,000km.

Olivier said most of this was poorly maintained, with 78% of the network exceeding its design life and 30% considered in a poor or very poor state.

Most concerning was the condition of provincial gravel roads, 50% of which were poor or very poor.

He said urban bypasses, paving gravel roads, reconstruction, rehabilitation and strengthening urban roads could result in significant fuel savings and improvements in air quality.

“We need a system of roads which minimises the environmental impact through the adoption of sustainable practices.”

Olivier said the trick was to avoid sequential road planning and promote an integrated, sustainable approach from the outset.

Counterproductive to this were factors such as poor procurement and contracting procedures which undermined innovation, financial sustainability and, ultimately, roadway resilience.

He said sustainable goals and practices included generating less energy, improving air quality, using fewer resources, adapting the transport system to better withstand emerging impacts of climate change, enhanced safety, financial sustainability and socially inclusive infrastructure.

The main reason for the number of potholes — 10-million more than five years ago — was inadequate maintenance, which created deeper holes in the pockets of administering authorities. Lack of maintenance increases repair costs by 18 times if a full rehabilitation of a road is necessary.

In August, the department of transport launched Operation Vala Zonke, a national campaign aimed at eradicating potholes, with Sanral the implementing agency.

“Johannesburg has already fixed and filled 112,699 potholes, North West 28,578, Limpopo 25,431 and the Free State has 16,540 fewer potholes, thanks to Operation Vala Zonke,” said Sanral.

Prof Philip Paige-Green, of Tshwane University’s engineering department, said there was much more to the issue than just filling potholes.

“There was a study released by the CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) in 2010 that details the approach we should be taking to deal with potholes. But little of what was proposed has been implemented on our provincial, urban and district roads. It’s simple, if they aren’t fixed properly, they won’t last.”

He cited an example of a road on which potholes were fixed for decades, but they kept recurring.

“What no-one seemed to notice is that there was lush green grass right next to the road, which meant there was a water source. This is not rocket science, it should be clear that any filling of potholes here wouldn’t work without taking care of the water source,” he said.