Umhlanga residents threaten legal action over allegations that N2 construction is damaging homes

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25-04-2024
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Residents in Somerset Park, Umhlanga, north of Durban, are outraged at damages to their properties which they attribute to nearby construction work on the N2.

They are preparing to challenge the company responsible, Raubex Construction.

Despite Raubex's insistence that its work meets international standards, in a written response to the affected residents, the company stated that an assessment concluded the vibrations from the N2 highway construction were insufficient to cause property damage, effectively rejecting the complaints.

Residents are not accepting these findings and are gearing up to contest them.

Reza Mahomed, spokesperson for the affected residents, said, "According to Raubex, the vibrations are within acceptable limits and not a risk to homeowners. The homeowners most affected are adjacent to the southbound N2 highway. As a community, we feel that an independent investigation needs to be conducted to determine if the ongoing vibrations are safe or could result in damage to our properties."

Mahomed also raised concerns about potential latent damage that may become apparent in the future. He noted that the vibrations have been ongoing for many months, raising questions about the safety of such long-term exposure.

"Moreover, how does one explain the visible damage to some properties which has only become evident in the past few months, when vibrations were at their peak?" he added.

Other residents have also criticised the company's response, noting that their walls have sustained cracks since construction began on the N2.

"I live in Shepton Close with my boundary wall facing the N2. These vibrations have caused tiles to crack and displace from my bathroom walls and have led to continuous rattling of my windows and doors. Even my front driveway gate rattles," said another resident.

A resident claims that a crack has formed on an inner wall at their property following the construction work on N2. Picture Supplied.

However, the company disagrees. It brought in experts recently to investigate the complaints and found no evidence to support the concerns raised.

Raubex said, "Although we acknowledge that the vibrations might be disturbing and rather unpleasant, our assessment indicates that it is highly unlikely any structural damage to buildings can occur from the construction activities on the N2 project."

The project is scheduled for completion by May 2026, although construction work near Somerset Park will only continue for approximately three months of the remaining 24 months.

"It was unfortunate that a plant breakdown one evening required us to work up until 7 o'clock, but this was a one-off occurrence which will be avoided at all costs," Raubex added.

Raubex apologised for the inconvenience caused by the roadworks but emphasised that the vibrations from the compaction plant are an unavoidable consequence of the necessary upgrading of the N2 freeway.

The affected residents are seeking legal counsel on the matter.