The R532 Sabie/Graskop Road was closed for sinkhole repairs and will remain closed until Saturday May 7 due to unstable conditions following rock blasting on May 5.

The spokesperson for the provincial Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport, Bongani Dhlamini, said the planned road closure on Thursday was so that a sinkhole could be repaired and rock-blasting activities conducted.

Dhlamini said, “According to the engineers, the sinkhole developed some metres under the road as a result of corrosion of the rock underneath. The corrosion happened at different sections of the road, so the sinkhole was made up of a number of cavities in the rock.

“It is therefore necessary to blast so that all the cavities are exposed and the repair will then start at the right depth and extend to cover all affected areas, to minimise chances of a recurrence of the problem.

“In addition to the repairs, the drainage of water from the mountainside will also be cleared up and improved.”

He added that, “During the rock blasting, some damages occurred on the temporary deviation, which the contractor is currently repairing. The contractor is doing everything in its power to expedite these works and is expecting the temporary deviation to be reopened by Saturday before 12:00.”

He urged road users from Mbombela/White River to travel via Hazyview to Sabie/Graskop to ease the traffic flow on the bypass.

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