Kruger Avenue closed while residents worry about garden refuse site

In a press release on Friday, the Tshwane metro informed residents of Lyttelton Manor, Centurion, about the temporary closure of Kruger Avenue from Monday.

Metro spokesperson Selby Bokaba said motorists, particularly in Lyttelton Manor, must note that the road will be closed from Monday morning at 09:00 until further notice.

“This is due to a sinkhole that has developed on the roadway in Kruger Avenue. The City is compelled to immediately close the said road for safety purposes as well as to allow for physical assessment and geological investigation to determine the necessary method of repair.

“The actual area of the road closure is between stand number 1009 and 1011 Kruger Avenue and will affect the entire roadway.”

He said the sinkhole, which was observed on March 10 this year as a physical hole on the roadway with surrounding sagging and cracks in the road surface, is visible in the southbound lane of the roadway. It extends below the surface to the northbound lane and possibly further beyond.

“While the surface extent of the sinkhole on the roadway may be small, the sinkhole expands at approximately 2m below the surface into the northbound lane and to the existing sinkhole located on the verge of the southbound lane.”

“It further extends in both directions across the road. The extent of the sinkhole affected area is approximately 25 metres by 10 metres and 6 metres in depth. Therefore, both lanes of Kruger Avenue, the sidewalk areas, and portions of properties between 1009 and 1011 are affected by the sinkhole.”

He said the sinkhole is unstable and can further collapse inwards at any time on the roadway.

“This road closure will, unfortunately, affect access to businesses and facilities in the immediate vicinity since there is no viable detour route around the sinkhole area. Businesses on either side of the closure point and persons requiring local access to sites with street number 1009 and less, need to approach from River Roadside.

“Meanwhile, those from addresses 1011 up to 1026 Kruger Avenue and on Theron Street, will have to access from the Van Ryneveld Avenue side.”

He said the municipal garden refuse site can be accessed from Van Ryneveld Avenue. Provision will be made for pedestrians on the western side of the road.

“The road closure is inevitable. The sooner the investigation and rehabilitation design can be conducted, the sooner preparations can be made for rehabilitation. The City pleads for co-operation from residents, businesses and motorists around the sinkhole area and apologises profusely for the inconvenience in this regard.”

A concerned resident from Lyttelton Manor also warned that a water leak at the local municipal garden refuse site is a disaster waiting to happen.

Kevin Trollope, from Burger Street, said he noticed the leak recently at the site when he disposed of garden refuse there.

“I noticed there is a leak that has probably been leaking for the longest time as is evident from the stagnant water that dammed up at the bottom.

“Taking into consideration that this is a sinkhole prone area, the site is most probably a disaster waiting to happen.”

Trollope said especially when one also keeps in mind that the testing grounds are about 30m away from that spot, closed down a few years ago due to sinkholes.

“As the crow flies, the sinkhole in Kruger Avenue is no more than 500m away from the refuse site.

“But our main concern is that region 4’s water and sanitation depot is a mere 150m away from the spot. One can just imagine the kind of trouble one can get into should a sinkhole form there.”

Trollope said prevention is better than cure, especially when one thinks about the cost of repairing a sinkhole and the inconvenience it causes residents.

“Residents would not like the site to close down because of another sinkhole,” he said.

Tshwane metro was yet to comment at the time of going to press.

ALSO READ: Temporary closure of Kruger Avenue in Lyttleton Manor for sinkhole investigation and repair

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