A resident living directly across from the excavation on Balder Road says it has been more than three years of reporting the same problem.

What began as a single pipe burst has become a cycle of repairs, reinstatements, and renewed collapses, leaving the road scarred once again.

The long-standing excavation has resurfaced after the pipe reportedly burst again, damaging the roadway and reopening frustrations among residents. For those living nearby, the disruption has become an all-too-familiar sight.

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Ward 106 councillor Chris Santana says the issue has been repeatedly reported to Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA). He confirmed that, after a September meeting with officials, the site was reinstated. However, the relief was short-lived.

“This is one of those cases where I did manage to get it reinstated after the September meeting with some officials, but you can see the pipe has burst again, and it’s created an issue in the road again.”

He added that attempts to have the pothole repaired have not yet yielded results. “It’s unfortunate that our infrastructure continues to collapse, which creates ongoing repairs to work that has already been repaired before. However, if we plan and manage our repairs properly, this wouldn’t be an ongoing issue.”

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According to Santana, this specific site was one of three he had been monitoring.

While the other two locations were successfully repaired, Balder Road has returned to square one. Santana said the repeated failures raise broader concerns about ageing underground infrastructure, as the situation not only affects residents’ daily commutes, but also poses danger and possible property devaluation.

JRA was contacted for comment, but nothing was received before going to print. More will be published once it becomes available.