Sinkhole fears ease as Winnie Mandela Drive leak repaired, but motorists remain on edge
Johannesburg Water says the underground leak that prompted sinkhole fears at the corner of Winnie Mandela Drive and Argyle Avenue has been repaired, yet Ward 90 representatives say loose gravel and exposed asphalt continue to pose a risk on one of Sandton’s busiest roads.
An underground water leak, which raised fears of possible road collapse on one of Sandton’s busiest routes, has been repaired.
The condition of the road, however, has shifted attention from the underground pipe to the surface motorists now have to navigate. The leak, at the intersection of Argyle Avenue and Winnie Mandela Drive between Hurlingham and Sandhurst, was repaired by Johannesburg Water (JW) earlier this month, following months of concern from Ward 90 representatives and residents.
Read more; Water continues to seep through Winnie Mandela Drive, sparking sinkhole fears
The Sandton Chronicle first reported on the renewed leak in early May, when water was seen seeping through the road surface and collecting in puddles. At the time, Ward 90 councillor Renate van Onselen and Ward 90 committee member Lori Klein warned that continued underground water flow could weaken the road and potentially contribute to sinkhole formation.
JW had said further technical investigation would be required to establish the source of the leak and assess any potential ground instability.
During a follow-up site visit with the publication on August 13, Van Onselen said the immediate danger appeared to have been addressed. Van Onselen said, when she spoke with JW, she was told that this is, however, a temporary resolution to the problem. “Apparently, there are two pipes running underneath the road across Winnie Mandela Drive, and the one was very rusted. The leaks emanated from that pipe and they fixed that part. So, it’s fixed for now, but for how long we don’t know.”
Klein welcomed the repairs, however, she said she is worried about the huge gravel stones all over the road. “There’s minimum of 80, up to probably 140 people sometimes, driving on this road, and you can hear the gravel cracking as the cars are driving. I’m just worried.”
Also read: JRA starts work on Illovo sinkhole
She said that Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) needs to reinstate the area properly. “Even if it’s not 100%, we’ve got to get rid of this gravel. We have thousands of cars driving on this road every single day.”
JW spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala confirmed that the leak underground was found on a 400mm steel pipeline. “The repairs were completed on August 2, and the backfilling completed on August 5. The premix final layer was refereed to JRA.
“The depot confirmed that the repairs conducted are permanent repairs. However, should the leak continue to persist, whether downstream or in the same area, the issue will then be referred to our Capex department, upon which it will be flagged as part of Johannesburg Water’s pipe replacement programme. It will then be included in the entity’s annual plans and a budget will be allocated to the area to replace the pipeline.”
Questions were sent to JRA on August 13 and a follow up on August 17. JRA acknowledged receipt of the email, however, no updates were received by the time of print.
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