Historic cobblestones to be restored after pipe burst

The City of Cape Town has reassured Kalk Bay residents that repairs to the historic cobblestone section of Rosmead Road, which was damaged by a burst water pipe on Monday December 16, will be carried out in accordance with heritage specifications.

The burst pipe created a large sinkhole in the road, and according to Steve Herbert, secretary of the Kalk Bay Historical Association, the cobblestones were “undermined” as the repair team only arrived late afternoon.

Mr Herbert expressed concern about the potential damage to the area’s historic streetscape as the sinkhole was being filled with the ripped-up cobblestones and he had been told that it would be filled with concrete.

“This will be disastrous for the street and the historic value of this area,” he said.

Mr Herbert said improvements to the roads in the area started in 1925 when the streets of Die Dam, the area from Belmont to Rosmead Roads and from Lever to above Quarterdeck Roads, were finally properly laid out and paved.

Mr Herbert said Die Dam took its name from a small dam which would have been in the bottom left corner of Lever Street Park, today.

Belmont, Lever, Rouxville, and Rosmead Roads had all been part of the early layout of the area. In 1905, the Kalk Bay Municipality exchanged land near the station and two plots at the top of what is now MacRobert Steps with Robert Andrew Fish for land that was to become Rosmead Road.

The road's history has been a topic of local interest, with residents like Ms Moorley of Sefton Villa in Lever Street, who wrote to the municipality in 1924 asking for improvements to the dust-filled roads.

Ward councillor Izabel Sherry said the City was aware of the road's heritage status and that repairs would be made according to the necessary heritage standards.

However, she said, the timing of the repairs, with Christmas approaching and contractors unavailable for permanent reinstatement during the festive season, a temporary reinstatement will be carried out to ensure the road remains accessible to residents.

She said the cobblestones that have been removed will be preserved and reused for the repair work in the new year.