Motorists warned as intersection washes away
The intersection at Gerhard Street and Von Willich Avenue has washed away.
Large parts of the road surface at the intersection at Gerhard Street and Von Willich Avenue in Lyttelton washed away on Wednesday evening after heavy rain.
The road surface cracked and warped under the immense pressure of large amounts of water spilling out of a stormwater drain.
According to the head of Lyttelton Sector 7 community policing forum (CPF), Chris Evans, the CPF had received a call to respond to a burst water pipe spilling thousands of litres of water. “When we arrived just after 18:00 the entire intersection was under water. We had to wait a few hours before we could finally see how bad the damage to the road surface was.”
Large parts of the road surface had washed away, and due to the massive influx of water, the road surface warped and buckled, creating danger for many motorists.
Sector 7 CPF called in the Off Road Rescue Unit (ORRU) to assist in blocking off the dangerous road and help redirect traffic away from the intersection.
Tshwane Metro geologists were also called in to assess the damage to the road and determine whether there would be any danger of a sinkhole forming. The damage did not appear to have caused a sinkhole, but full assessments were still going to be needed in daytime.
Leaking water pipes are of great concern to residents as they are known to cause sink holes, such as the one in Clifton Avenue.
Sector 7 CPF has since warned motorists to stay away from the area and to plan their travelling routes accordingly, especially during peak morning traffic, as the road will be closed off indefinitely.
The affected streets include Gerhard Street south, between Jean and Von Willich avenues and the section between Gropius Avenue and the intersection. One lane of Gerhard Street north will remain open.
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