Pierre van Ryneveld sinkhole repaired – after almost 5 years
The road will be reopened by the end of April latest.
After almost five years, the Dan Pienaar Road and Len Beyers Avenue sinkhole in Pierre van Ryneveld, Centurion, is finally being repaired and will reopen by the end of April at the latest.
The sinkhole was one of 49 in the area, with 46 falling under the City of Tshwane’s jurisdiction.
The sinkhole, which formed on June 10, 2018, was a result of the underlying dolomite rock causing the surface to collapse.
According to Tshwane city spokesperson Lindela Mashigo, the rehabilitation process for a sinkhole involves several steps.
First, an engineering geologist inspects the site and designs a rehabilitation plan. Then, the City secures a contractor to carry out the repairs, and the rehabilitation work can commence.
Mashigo said that 46 of the 49 sinkholes were under the City of Tshwane’s ambit, while two were Gauteng provincial roads and one fell under the SA National Road Agency (Sanral) on the R21 before the N1 interchange.
The cost of repairing a sinkhole can vary greatly, with smaller sinkholes costing around R3-million and larger ones up to R15-million, according to ward councillor Ina Strijdom.
Mashigo said it is difficult to calculate an average cost due to the unique nature of each case.
“The most recent sinkhole repair in Centurion cost R25-million,” said Mashigo.
He said the city has allocated R30-million for sinkhole repairs in the 2022/23 financial year.
“The last sinkhole to be repaired by the city was in Lyttelton Manor and the road was reopened on December 14, 2022. In Valhalla, the first sinkhole formed almost seven years ago and is still awaiting repair,” he said.
Rehabilitating sinkholes can be a time-consuming process.
“It involves a lot of investigation work, testing and designing the rehabilitation plan. The rehabilitation work itself can take a long time, depending on the size of the sinkhole and the complexity of the repair required.”
The next sinkhole in line for repairs is located at the corner of Queen and Alexandra roads in Irene. Repair work will commence in the next financial year.
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