Continuous efforts towards smooth roads

A temporary plastic barrier is placed to warn motorists about this deep pothole at Persiaran Pandan 1. — Photos: AZMAN GHANI and AHMAD ZAMIR/ The Star

SO FAR in February alone, there have been two cases where potholes have caused bodily and vehicular harm in the Klang Valley.

On Feb 11, Lim Eng Hwa was preparing food at his bak kut teh stall in Puchong when he witnessed a commotion across Jalan TK 5/1.

Lying on the rocky road shoulder was Lee Yat Sang, 54, who was covered in blood after he tried to avoid a pothole but lost control of his motorcycle and fell.

He also blamed his accident on the unbalanced road – the main road was at a higher level than the road shoulder.

In the same month, a motorist drove into a deep pothole along Jalan Puchong that measured about 0.15m in length and almost a metre in depth.

The incident damaged his car, with repairs costing more than RM700.

Last month, 48-year-old T. Sarojah died after she lost control of her motorcycle and crashed after riding into a 0.5m pothole along Jalan Telok Gong, Klang.

 

The potholes along Jalan TK 5/42 have gotten worse over the years and have not been paved though complaints were made.

 

Even with such devastating effects, pothole-ridden roads remain a constant dilemma for local authorities.

StarMetro spoke to Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and some local authorities in Selangor to find out their standard operating procedures in dealing with potholes.

In general, the local authorities said most damages on roads were caused by third parties such as utility companies and developers.

In Kuala Lumpur, 70% of potholes are caused by utility companies, who carry out bad patch-up jobs after digging up the roads to lay their cables, as well as developers of projects nearby the roads.

DBKL Civil Engineering and Urban Transportation senior deputy director Sabudin Mohd Salleh said the situation was worsened by rapid development and large traffic volume.

“With development comes increased road diggings to move cables or upgrade the utility system.

“Sub-par remedial works by contractors, especially those hired by utility and development companies, have contributed to the problem,” he explained.

In 2014, DBKL announced that utility companies would no longer be allowed to hire their own contractors to dig and patch up roads.

The task of hiring contractors for the job would instead be DBKL’s.

Sabudin said apart from the new guidelines, DBKL utilised modern technology such as the use of Concrete Slab Manholes (CSM).

A deep pothole along Jalan Puchong heading towards Old Klang Road has been increasing in size and is easily missed by those who are unfamiliar with the area.

“The CSM will be compulsory for all new utility manholes, while old manholes will be upgraded with the concrete slabs.

“These slabs last longer and are able to withstand more wear and tear,” he said, adding that DBKL had started using CSM since May last year.

To patch up potholes, Sabudin said DBKL planned to introduce the Hot Recycle Thermal Patcher, which would speed up the patching process.

“Apart from the speed, this type of patch recycles the existing asphalt and reduces wastage by 80%.

“We have also started using a higher grade of asphalt called the Polymer Modified Bituminous, which also helps to prolong the lifespan of roads,” he said.

Although there have been numerous complaints that it takes local authorities too long to patch up damaged roads, Sabudin said the department had strict SOPs which they adhered to.

“Once a complaint is received, we must fix the damaged road or pothole within 24 hours if it is less than 100sq m,” he said, adding that any larger damage would take one month from the date a contractor was appointed, to be repaired.

However, he clarified that this did not include damage caused by utility companies or burst water pipes.

According to Sabudin, DBKL patched up about 9,311 potholes last year alone.

Materials used to repair road damage include Asphaltic Concrete Wearing Course (ACWC) while Cold-Mix Asphalt Concrete is used on weekends or for occasions when the quarry is closed.

“We have mobile squads to detect the potholes and have them properly patched up speedily without having to wait for public complaints,” Sabudin said.

Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) has allocated RM2.5mil this year to fix damaged roads.

MPAJ public relations officer Norhayati Ahmad said it generally took anywhere from a day to three months to fix a damaged road depending on the severity of the case.

“Once we receive a complaint, a site visit is done to determine the type of work needed. Once it is fixed, the complainant will be informed,” she said.

She added that third-party contractors were appointed for major works, while council staff took care of minor damages or carried out short-term measures.

In Subang Jaya, the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) deploys its “road gang” team to monitor and attend to minor potholes.

MPSJ Corporate and Strategic Management deputy director Azfarizal Abdul Rashid said it would usually take one to three days for smaller potholes and up to 10 days for severe cases.

“If there are delays, it is usually due to traffic, weather conditions, activities in the area and damages caused by third party, for example a developer or utility company.

“In general, most potholes are on roads more than seven years old, which require complete re-pavement work,” he said.

MPSJ uses hot or cold premix to patch or resurface roads as specified by the Public Works Department’s (JKR) Standard Specification For Road Work – Flexible Pavement.

This year, MPSJ has allocated RM9mil for road repairs while eight contractors who have been hired to carry out the works are monitored closely on the premix and method used on site.

Azfarizal said MPSJ also appoints third-party independent laboratories for further review of repair works by contractors to ensure that it is in accordance with the specifications.

He added that patching works done could last about six months while resurfacing works would last at least seven years.

Just like MPSJ, the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) also has a team to carry out immediate patching works on potholes but for more severe damages, it tenders the work out.

MBSA Corporate Communication head Shahrin Ahmad said every road damage complaint would first be delegated to their Engineering Department.

“The officers will then check if the road is under the jurisdiction of the council or a third party before taking action,” he said, adding that main roads in Shah Alam as well as roads in industrial areas are usually riddled with potholes.

Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Corporate Communications assistant director Abdul Hakim Khiruddin said non-critical cases would take up to two weeks to repair while a critical case would take up to 48 hours.

“We use hot premix for big-scale paving which can last for five years and cold mix for temporary or small paving works on potholes which lasts up to two years,” he said.

MBPJ has been using the same method since 1988 based on JKR’s specifications.

The city council has allocated RM2.5mil for road works and RM2.4mil to councillors for use in their areas.