Tyre-eating pothole a danger for local motorists
The problem has already been reported to local councillors without any success.
VAALOEWER – The road from Vanderbijlpark towards Potchefstroom is fairly drivable until you’re about 10 km from the turnoff or 5 km after joining the road from the N1. From there, it’s another 5 km to Vaaloewer.
Exactly there lies a massive pothole that almost stretches across the entire road. A rather deep hole in which several cars and trucks have already lost their tyres.
It’s also not possible to try and swerve around it, as the road has been eroded on both sides by water, making the edge dangerously elevated.
At night, there are no lights, and even during the day, it’s difficult to see until you’re almost already in the hole.
Last Monday morning at 04:00, a truck accident occurred, and around 10:00, another truck and a smaller lorry were involved in a head-on collision.
The previous week, a woman rolled her car there, and several motorists have already lost two tyres at once trying to get through the pothole. Farmers in the area and residents of Vaaloewer are desperate.
They’ve repeatedly stepped in to repair potholes themselves, but this specific one is just too big. According to Wayne Kevern of the Vaaloewer community, they’ve repaired large sections of road at their own cost with help from local farmers and FKA Hardware, but the problem is simply too large.
Moreover, the road carries far too much traffic. It used to be a quiet road for years, but residents say the number of large trucks using the road has increased significantly over the past six to eight months.
Some people believe it’s because trucks are trying to avoid toll roads; others think it’s because of the weighbridge where trucks are forced to stop on the main road.
The problem has already been reported to local councillors without any success. Vaalweekblad has sent photos and information to Evert du Plessis, the DA’s shadow minister for roads and transport in Gauteng, and he has reported it.
The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport has responded, stating that they are aware of the road’s condition. The road is on their list to be rehabilitated once the budget is sorted out.
