Work begins on Sheffield sinkhole repair after 14 months

Sheffield residents will be heaving a sigh of relief as repairs to the damaged portion of Barrier Lane get underway.

Part of the road which leads to Christmas Bay was washed away 14 months ago due to burst pipes running underneath the road.

This caused the collapse of a section of the road.

Heavy rains over the following weeks added further to the damage.

The road has been cordoned off with barriers to keep motorists away from the collapsed area.

Ward 22 councillor Privi Makhan said the damaged road was first reported to KDM on December 17, 2019 and she has been trying to get the municipality to undertake repairs for more than a year.

The R1.7 million repair is expected to take 5 months.

Sheffield resident and retired civil engineer, John Cole, said the cause of the damage should have been addressed years ago.

“Stormwater drainage pipes or leaking sewer or water lines cause surface depressions that must be properly fixed before commencing road repairs or they will lead to further deterioration,” said Cole.