A month-long road excavation on Rustenburg Road in Melville is finally expected to be filled in by the end of this week.

The excavation, left open following infrastructure repairs, sparked mounting frustration in Ward 87 over why the surface had not been reinstated weeks after the initial dig. According to the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), the delay stemmed from ongoing underground repairs carried out by Johannesburg Water (JW).
“The excavation was undertaken by Joburg Water for repairs to their infrastructure. The area had not yet been reinstated as the entity needed to complete its repairs before handing the site over to JRA. Joburg Water has completed its work, and JRA will reinstate the road, ” said JRA head of department for regional operations, Khaya Gqibitole.

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The excavation became a flashpoint for broader concerns around coordination between municipal entities and the pace of infrastructure management in older suburbs such as Melville.

“JRA manages reinstatements through its wayleave process, which enables third parties to obtain authorisation to undertake their work on the road reserve or sidewalk. The third party or entity, such as Joburg Water, will undertake their repairs, maintenance or replacement of their infrastructure. Once they have completed their work, the entity provides JRA with a work order to undertake the surface reinstatement.”
The duration of an excavation, he added, is determined by the wayleave agreement between JRA and the utility responsible for the underground work.

Gqibitole noted that JW reinstatements are dynamic in nature, as leaks are continuously identified and repaired across the network. “The JRA relies on formal notifications and system updates from JW once leak repairs have been completed and sites are ready for road reinstatement. As such, the number of unresolved reinstatement cases may vary depending on when leak repairs are finalised and formally handed over to JRA. JRA continuously monitors reported locations and coordinates with Johannesburg Water to ensure that reinstatements are scheduled accordingly.”

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To prevent extended delays, the agency said it has introduced several measures.

These included:

• Continuous monitoring of the shared interface system between JRA and JW to track completed leak repairs and pending reinstatements.
• Conducting regular site inspections to verify the status of reinstatement locations and identify any unreported or outstanding defects.
• Ongoing coordination and engagement with JW to improve communication, planning, and scheduling of reinstatement works.
• Prioritisation of reinstatements based on risk level, traffic volumes, and public safety considerations.

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