Merafong sinkhole 18m wide ... and growing

145 07-10-14 A sinkhole on the R500 road in Merafong, Carltonville is causing discomfort to residents in that area. Picture: Motlabana Monnakgotla

145 07-10-14 A sinkhole on the R500 road in Merafong, Carltonville is causing discomfort to residents in that area. Picture: Motlabana Monnakgotla

Published Oct 13, 2014

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Johannesburg - Detours, dust, threats, car crashes and a R25 million repair job. At the centre of it all is a very big hole in Merafong.

On a rainy night on February 21, a sinkhole appeared right next to the R500 main road between Carletonville and the N14 on the way to Rustenburg. It’s just south of where the R41 joins the R500.

The sinkhole is about 18m across and about 25m at the deepest point, and growing.

The road is being blocked off with concrete barriers, running a detour along gravel servitude roads through farmland, a temporary fix that has left tempers frayed.

The owners of the land with the sinkhole, who did not want to be identified, said that passing motorists had threatened to sue them for costs of fuel and vehicle repairs because of the detour. Commuters are fed up with the inconvenience and damage to vehicles, while residents are irritated by the dust, road damage and noise.

“The fear is that it’s going to be a long-term thing. There’s no time frame,” said DA councillor in Merafong City, Judy Rossouw, explaining that repairs hadn’t started as expected last month.

Last week there were renewed promises of action from the authorities.

Minister of Transport Dipuo Peters told Parliament, in reply to a question from DA MP Jacques Julius, that geotechnical engineers had been appointed to investigate.

“According to the geotechnical engineers, the sinkhole is defined as very large with an average surface diameter of 18m. It lies 5m from the road’s edge and has continued to expand in size since the initial subsistence events,” Peters said.

“The geotechnical engineers’ final report will be submitted to the department with recommendations and service providers will be appointed to repair the road.”

Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport spokeswoman, Octavia Mamabolo, said they were finalising a tender document for the repairs.

“The tender document is expected to be finalised by the end of October,” she said.

“The estimated construction cost is R25m.”

Meanwhile, people impatient with the delay in repairs have now moved the concrete barriers blocking the road, and drive past the sinkhole.

“I’m learning to breathe dust,” said Pastor Bob Oldfield, of the Christ Gospel Church on the detour road.

He recalls torrential rain the night the sinkhole developed, describing water lying 20cm to 30cm deep on the fields, and believes the “sheer volume” of water led to the sinkhole collapse. He described angry confrontations between the community and authorities over the unpopular detour and delayed repairs.

“We were told it would be done and dusted by the end of October and we felt we could live with it. But it looks like it’s been put in File 13,” he said.

Local farmer At de Lange lives where the R500 is now diverted to the detour.

“It’s terrible,” said De Lange of the endless traffic, counting 200 to 350 vehicles a day. “My wife wants to pack up and go.”

On the Easter weekend, he watched 455 vehicles passing in a single hour. He has counted 32 accidents at the barricades.

“They just crash into the concrete barriers.”

No one has died, but there’ve been a lot of wrecked vehicles.

“We’ve had three vehicles in our garden.

“My fence is still down.”

Those using the detour may not realise it, but they are driving over the remnants of another sinkhole.

That hole was filled with rock by a local business, and the detour runs over it.

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