Residents residing in De Vries Street have had to deal with the consequences of a massive hole on the traffic island between the two lanes of the road, which has been left open for four years after the repair of a sewage leak into the storm water system.

According to Roodekrans Neighbourhood Watch chairperson Andreas Oberlechner, the problem arose when frequent sewerage blockages resulted in overflows, which would end up spilling into the stormwater system and contaminating the water, which flows downstream through the Manie Mulder Adventure Centre.

“Johannesburg Water eventually came and repaired the sewerage lines,” Oberlechner says.

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“Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) came and assessed their stormwater pipes which were damaged due to old age and erosion as well, but never repaired them or closed the hole.

“Now, every time it rains, the hole erodes even further.

“It is causing severe damage to the road surface and even surrounding houses, which are developing cracks.

“It is a question of time before the whole road surface collapses. In the past four years, through countless interactions with the entity, we have gotten exactly zero response.”

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While the Roodepoort Record was on the scene with Oberlechner, an angry resident stopped and explained that the damage to her house is becoming more significant with every passing month. She requested not to be named in the article.

“The storm water pipes are broken,” explains Oberlechner. “The rain causes even more erosion and further damage. The water has nowhere to go, so naturally there will be damage until the entity fixes the problem.”

The Record has reached out to JRA spokesperson Bertha Scheepers, and her response will be shared once received.