Sinkhole forms in Centurion
A new sinkhole has fallen in on the corner of Clifton Avenue and Potgieter Road in Centurion.
A new sinkhole has fallen in on the corner of Clifton Avenue and Potgieter Road in Centurion.
The heavily dolomitic area was plagued by sinkholes in the past.
“This sinkhole, which fell through on Monday morning, had in all likelihood been forming over many years,” said local ward councillor David Farquharson.
“We suspect the extra bit of rain over the weekend pushed it over the edge.”
He said the entire intersection was affected by the hole.
“Water pipes and electrical cables were also damaged as well as the dedicated cable line causing problems for residents with purchasing prepaid power.”
“The hole’s dimensions are 12 by 17 metres and it is eight metres deep.”
Farquharson said when metro officials arrived, the hole initially didn’t look too serious.
“However, on closer inspection they realised the ground was very unstable,” he said.
The team is expected to do exploratory drilling to determine the extent of the sinkhole.
READ MORE: Stephanus Schoeman sinkhole repairs have yet to start
Farquharson said it would take some time for the hole to be repaired and urged residents to use alternative routes.
“The hole will affect motorists heading to and from the Unitas hospital and the local hospice,” he said.
“It is also on the main road between Trichard and Cantonments roads.
“Alternative routes include the roads to the east of Clifton Avenue.”
Farquharson said the metro had budgeted R30-million for the repair of sinkholes in the current financial year compared to only R4-million in 2016.
“On the current schedule it could take as long as 10 years to repair all the holes,” he said.
“We will plead with the council to allocate more money and time to get these holes repaired.”
Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites:
Rekord East
Rekord North
Rekord Centurion
Rekord Moot
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
