After weeks of mounting frustration, safety concerns and traffic disruptions, the damaged section of Ben Viljoen Street in Pretoria North has finally been repaired, bringing relief to motorists and residents who rely on the busy route daily.

The stretch of road between Brits and Gerrit Maritz roads, located in Ward 2, had been left in a severely hazardous condition following incomplete municipal repair work.

What initially began as routine service-related maintenance quickly escalated into a major safety risk when the road surface was left broken and uneven. A large open excavation remained exposed next to the roadway, and traffic lights at the intersection were removed without any temporary measures in place.

For weeks, traffic came to a near standstill as motorists avoided the area altogether, fearing damage to their vehicles and potential accidents.

Residents raised concerns about the absence of warning signage, barriers or visible progress on the site, particularly during peak morning and afternoon traffic.

Resident Linda Mokoena told Rekord that the traffic jam at the intersection during peak hours went beyond inconvenience.

“Every day I drove through there holding my breath. The road was uneven and dangerous, and there were no signs or workers. And this happened during the rainy period,” she said.

Another resident, Gerrit van Rooyen, described the experience as unacceptable, saying he nearly damaged his vehicle due to the sudden drops where the road had been dug up.

“This wasn’t repair work, it was abandonment,” he said at the time.

Ward 2 Councillor Quentin Meyer strongly criticised the metro’s handling of the situation, explaining that the damage stemmed from multiple water bursts in the area.

According to Meyer, repair teams hit a power cable during excavation work, triggering a substation failure that resulted in a major power outage.

Fibre infrastructure and traffic lights were also damaged, compounding the disruption.

“This is one of our busiest routes. The road was undrivable, traffic lights were removed, and there was a massive open hole next to the roadway. Leaving it like that for two weeks without follow-up was completely unacceptable.”

Community safety concerns were heightened by the exposed excavation, which lacked fencing or warning barriers, posing a significant danger, particularly at night.

Meyer also revealed that an accident had occurred in the area previously, narrowly avoiding loss of life.

Following sustained pressure, escalations and repeated follow-ups with the relevant municipal departments, repairs have now been completed.

Meyer confirmed that the corner of Ben Viljoen Street and Rachel de Beer Road has been fully restored, inspected and officially signed off by the Roads Department.

“I’m happy to confirm that the corner has been fixed and looks really good. Traffic is flowing smoothly again, and both corners of Ben Viljoen have now been repaired.”

Meyer also revealed that the intersection at Ben Viljoen Street and Gerrit Maritz Road had been a problem for more than two years and was finally fixed.

“This proves one thing: constant follow-up works. You must keep reporting, keep reminding, and keep pressure on the council.”

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