Further delays in John Vorster crossover road

Motorists in Centurion will have to endure some more congestion on the busy John Vorster Drive.

Part of the road between Nellmapius Drive and Marco Polo Street was closed in mid-December 2022 after a sinkhole formed on the westbound side of the road.

Ward 65 councillor Gert Visser said that no completion date was available for a cross-over road that would assist in reducing congestion on the road.

Visser has been following the situation since the sinkhole formed and pushing for plans to reduce congestion in the area.

On February 14, Visser conducted an oversight visit to the crossover road.

At the time, he said: “Operational challenges together with solutions were discussed.

“A realistic and sustainable plan of action is in place and will be executed to improve the traffic flow at the Nellmapius Road/John Vorster Drive intersection.”

However, the plan was plagued by operational problems.

“The operational issues are delaying completion… no completion date available at present,” said Visser.

The work at the site will no longer be completed by a contractor and was handed over to the City of Tshwane to complete.

The new road signs to indicate the detour have already been erected, but are currently covered with black bags.

Should all go according to plan, work will recommence within the next week or two.

It is of utmost importance that the cross-over be completed as soon as possible to alleviate the current traffic congestion, especially during peak hours.”

Visser said that there was still no indication as to when the sinkhole would be rehabilitated.

Centurion is a hotspot for sinkholes due to underlying dolomitic rock that is highly susceptible to sinkhole formation.

Earlier this year, a portion of Main Road in Irene, near John Vorster Drive, was closed due to road subsidence.

Since last week, two new sinkholes have formed in Thaba Tshwane on Paul Kruger Drive, forcing authorities to close a portion of the road for safety reasons.

“The current annual municipal budget allocated to repair sinkholes in Tshwane is only in the vicinity of R30 million,” said Visser.

He said that the amount needed to be increased to R90 million in order to expedite the rehabilitation of numerous sinkholes in Centurion.

He said that the increased budget for the sinkhole repairs would be lobbied at the appropriate forum.

ALSO READ: Metro urges vigilance after new Gauteng cholera cases

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

For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram