More than a year after severe flooding struck the Weltevreden Park Greenbelt between Windsurf Street and 9th Avenue, visible damage to roads and embankments remains a concern for residents, with no repair work undertaken.

During a site visit by the Roodepoort Northsider and Welridge Residents’ Association members’ liaison officer, Audrey Vrachionidis, sections of roadway were found to be damaged, and parts of the embankment showed signs of collapse. This has raised safety concerns and questions about when the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) will carry out permanent repairs.

According to Vrachionidis, the floods caused extensive damage to embankments and smaller bridges in the Greenbelt. Precast slabs were also washed away along a wall on vacant land bordering JG Strydom Road, near the sinkhole on Cockspur Street at the stormwater drain leading into the Greenbelt.

“We as residents paid for and repaired the wall because vagrants moved onto the vacant land and started damaging structures at the cell tower,” Vrachionidis said.

She confirmed that JRA representatives have inspected the area. JJ le Roux visited the site, compiled a report and submitted it. More recently, the area’s JRA inspector conducted a further inspection.

“I spent time with the inspector visiting all sites, as well as potholes and the sinkhole on Jim Fouché,” she said.

Vrachionidis added that heavy trucks travelling through the area are contributing to further road deterioration and the formation of sinkholes.

“The sinkhole may have been caused by work done by Johannesburg Water, but it has been exacerbated by at least eight large coal trucks travelling at high speed twice a day to refuel at the Caltex garage on Without Road and Jim Fouché,” she said.

Although the JRA filled a large pothole at the intersection of Hyacinth Street, a significant depression remains.

“Motorists who are unaware of it hit it, scraping the underside of their vehicles. It could cause them to lose control and result in an accident,” she said.

The JRA was approached for comment on the outstanding repairs, the sinkhole and visible structural damage. At the time of publication, no response had been received.

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