A long-standing stormwater drainage problem in Parkmore is rapidly worsening, raising safety concerns for the residents and community leaders.
During a site visit with the publication on February 12, Parkmore Community Association manager and Ward 90 committee member Lori Klein said repeated attempts to engage the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) since 2022 have resulted in no response despite visible road collapse and expanding sinkholes along Victoria Avenue.
The most severe damage is currently visible at the corner of 4th Street and Victoria Avenue, where heavy December rains deepened an existing stormwater collapse.
Klein said what began as a drainage issue has evolved into a big hole that is now spreading into the roadway itself.
“I’ve noticed that since the heavy rainfalls in December, this particular location, which is on 4th Street corner of Victoria Avenue, has actually spread further into the road and has gotten even deeper. You can see completely collapsed infrastructure inside this hole,” Klein said.
“I have been emailing Joburg Road Agency since 2022. More recently, I sent them an email in January this year and again this morning to get some type of follow-up from them. I’ve requested meetings numerous times, and I’m just not getting any answers back from the roads agency.”
However, the issue does not appear to be isolated to one section. Just one street from the corner of 4th Street and Victoria Avenue, another stormwater damage suggests a systemic failure in the drainage network. Klein believes this may be where the broader problem originates.
“As you can see, another massive hole over here, infrastructure falling apart, curbs falling apart. I think there may have been a drain here, and the water then flows down the road, and we have a big sinkhole in the middle of Victoria and Fifth Street, covered in sand and rock, but the sinkhole is getting bigger as time goes by. As you go down, the road is actually like water, dead water, crumbling at its core.”
Klein warns that without urgent intervention, Victoria Avenue could continue to deteriorate and could lead to a more severe collapse. She is calling for direct engagement and immediate action from JRA.
“I’m really hoping that at some point Joburg Roads Agency will come to Parkmore, meet with residents and me and we can eventually get this problem resolved.”
The Sandton Chronicle reached out to JRA for a comment. Updates will be provided once they become available.
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