By Solly Maphumulo, Noor-Jehan Yoro Badat and Louise Flanagan
Natalie du Plessis was about to drive into Oxford Road in Riviera when the road collapsed in front of her.
A lamppost collapsed as water gushed out. Soon there was a hole about 12m long, taking out half of the roadway, the adjoining pavement and a garden wall.
"I was petrified. This is a road I drive through every day. It was shocking looking at the road I use collapsing," said Du Plessis.
A bystander said a car parked off the road in an office park had to be towed from the hole.
The road cave-in, between 8th and North avenues, is believed to be linked to construction of the Gautrain tunnel, which runs beneath Oxford Road.
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The tunnel-boring machine is in the same section of Oxford Road, working about 12m below ground.
The hole was about 3m deep and rapidly filled with water. It appeared to be a surface collapse, not damaging the tunnel itself.
Nobody was injured or trapped in the incident.
Bombela Civils Joint Venture environmental manager Etienne van der Lith said they identified poor geology in the vicinity at 11am on Tuesday and closed the road to ensure nobody was at risk.
The road collapse started at about 1.15pm.
Van der Lith said a water pipe had broken, gushing water.
"The engineers will look at the hole once the water has stopped and determine the extent of the damage."
He said the ground was still unstable and would be monitored. The road will be closed for up to a fortnight.
On Tuesday afternoon Oxford Road was cordoned off between 8th Avenue and Riviera Road, causing a rush-hour traffic build-up.
Alain Truyts, the province's resident Gautrain engineer, said it was difficult to say what caused the collapse until a geotechnical investigation had been done.
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