Sinkholes near the Olifantsfontein turnoff have been causing disruptions for the past two years. Image: Pixabay
Timeline announced to repair sinkholes in Gauteng
Construction to repair two sinkholes in Gauteng has finally begun following the awarding of a tender in October 2023.
Sinkholes near the Olifantsfontein turnoff have been causing disruptions for the past two years. Image: Pixabay
Sinkholes on the northbound side of the R21 near the Olifantsfontein turnoff in Gauteng have been causing disruptions for the past two years.
The appearance of these two sinkholes in February 2022 resulted in lane closures, leading to traffic congestion during peak hours.
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Construction to address the sinkholes has commenced after a tender valued at R144.24 million was awarded.
The tender went to a joint venture comprising JSE-listed construction and engineering group Raubex and former JSE-listed civil engineering and geotechnical construction group Esor.
When will the sinkholes in Gauteng be repaired?
South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) spokesperson Vusi Mona has said the tender was granted in October 2023. It has a nine-month duration, including a one-month site mobilisation period.
The sinkhole-repair project is expected to conclude by the end of August 2024.
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“Road users can expect traffic delays and disruptions during the project, as some lanes will be reduced in order to carry out work,” Mona told Moneyweb.
“To minimise delays, work will, as far as possible, be carried out at night, outside of peak traffic periods, between the hours of 19h00 and 05h00.”
A ‘complex process’
Explaining the delay in addressing the sinkholes in Gauteng, Mona said that fixing dolomitic sinkholes is a complex process. He also cited the challenges of limited access due to power lines crossing the R21 section.
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Jones & Wagener, a specialist geotechnical engineering company, conducted testing and extensive percussion drilling to determine the extent of the poor dolomitic conditions.
Following the investigations, a formal design process was undertaken to interpret the results and formulate remedial actions. According to Mona, this was to ensure that the design was both technically appropriate and the most cost-effective solution.
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“As a state-owned company, Sanral has to adhere to instructions from National Treasury in terms of all of its procurement processes,” he added.
“As such, following the above, a formal tender process for invited specialist contractors had to be followed, whereby the contractor Raubex Esor joint venture was appointed.”
