Main Road in Irene reopened after residents raise money
A portion of the M18 that runs through Irene was closed in early February following road subsidence.
Irene residents and businesses met with the Irene Landowners Association (ILA) to raise funds to repair a portion of the M18.
The repairs were estimated to cost R448 500, but the amount raised exceeded this (R477 591), allowing for the section of the road to quickly be repaired.
The section of road was closed on February 11, after heavy rains led to a portion of the road subsiding.
At the time, ward councillor Gert Visser said that metro geologists were called to the scene and determined that the site was not a sinkhole.
Instead, it was road subsidence most probably caused by a pipe leak which had since been repaired.
“Main Road, a provincial road, is open for traffic as of this afternoon,” said Visser on April 20.
“On March 4, the chairperson of ILA and I had a meeting to explore possible solutions to repair and reopen Main Road as soon as possible.”
“It was discussed that the way forward is to consider an informal public-private-partnership.”
“As a community, engaging together, we implemented a realistic and sustainable plan of action successfully.”
Following the early March meeting, the ILA presented a realistic and sustainable plan of action to repair the road together with the Gauteng Provincial Department of Roads and Transport (GPDRT).
According to a statement from the ILA, a sign will be erected at the repair site acknowledging the work of the ILA, Irene residents and surrounding businesses.
“Together we dug ourselves out of this hole. Die gat het sy gat gesien. Ge re shoma kamoka, re ka lokisha bothata [If we work together, we can fix the problem],” the sign reads.
The ILA said that the excess amount raised will be disclosed and the funds used in this initiative would be audited.
The closure of Main Road and the westbound lanes in John Vorster Road has led to traffic chaos in Centurion.
A crossover road was planned to reduce traffic congestion at John Vorster Road, which was closed in mid-December 2022.
No completion date for the crossover road is yet available as the construction has been plagued by operational problems.
READ MORE: Further delays in John Vorster crossover road
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