A giant pothole in Parkmore on the corner of Mattie Avenue and 13th Street resembles a pond more than a pothole.
In the article, A giant pothole, Week ending 21 October, the issue of this pothole was discussed and ward councillor, Vincent Earp, expressed his concerns. He stressed that the pothole is so large that an accident would inevitably occur at the intersection. He also predicted that if the road was not repaired, it would, in time, collapse.
It was reported in the aforementioned article that the Johannesburg Roads Agency would be able to repair the damage within a week. However, Bertha Peters-Scheepers, spokesperson for the agency, recently reported that the matter is a lot more severe than the entity anticipated.
The amount of time that it would take to repair the hole is, therefore, unclear at the moment and Peters-Scheepers could not comment on a definite timeline. She further highlighted that the said intersection has been indefinitely closed. She added that the entity is working with Johannesburg Water to come up with a solution, as the hole was filled with water during the investigation.
On 14 October, Kate Wardle, deputy chairperson of the Parkmore Community Association measured the depth of this water-filled hole and estimated that it was more than a metre.
Peters-Scheepers elaborated, “This is not a case of a simple pipe being fixed. This is an underground water issue and is, therefore, the responsibility of JRA [not Johannesburg Water]. Johannesburg Water took a sample of this water and the water tested positive for ground water.” She concluded that the agency will need to install sub-surface drainage to rectify the issue.
Tidimalo Chuene who is the manager of marketing and communications for Johannesburg Water said, “Please note that Johannesburg Water is aware of the pothole… Our depot is in contact with the JRA to find a permanent solution to the problem.
“We urge members of the public to be cautious around that area whilst repairs are underway.”
Wardle added that during the course of the operations, 12th and 14th streets will now be open in Parkmore to ease traffic flow.
