Motorists will have to wait a little longer before Witkoppen Road reopens, after Johannesburg Water confirmed that a second leak has been identified near the site of recent repair work.

The road, which remains closed between Achter Road and Milcliff Drive, was initially expected to reopen after crews repaired a long-standing leak. However, ongoing monitoring of the pipeline revealed another leak nearby.

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According to Johannesburg Water’s Nombuso Shabalala, the newly discovered leak is located on a bend in the pipeline that is encased in a concrete block. “It was not detected during the initial repair because it was very small. Once the concrete has been broken and removed, we will be able to assess the full extent of the leak.”

The water utility said the repair will require welding after the damaged section has been excavated. Shabalala clarified that an excavator, rather than a TLB, is needed because the pipeline runs beneath the middle of the road.

“The roadbed consists of multiple layers, including approximately 200mm of soilcrete and 150mm of asphalt, making an excavator the appropriate equipment for the excavation.”

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At this stage, the utility is unable to provide a confirmed date for when the road will reopen.

“We received the permit to proceed yesterday and requested an excavator from our service provider today. We are currently awaiting confirmation of its availability.”

He added that, once the excavator is on site, the repair itself is expected to take approximately one day, subject to site conditions and any unforeseen challenges.

Ward 93 councillor Vino Reddy previously urged motorists to continue using alternative routes and to exercise patience while the repairs are completed.

Johannesburg Water said it will provide further updates as work progresses and more information becomes available.

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