This section of the road was closed after a sinkhole developed alongside it in January 2019. Metal poles were planted next to the last exit out of Carletonville and numerous signs and barriers were erected. Drivers were urged to avoid the road because it could sink in further. After a while, however, the road seemed stable enough and some motorists removed these barriers. However, people using this road often, told the Herald the sinkhole seems to have been getting bigger and closer to the road since the heavy rainfall of the past weeks.
They also complained that the section of the road past the sinkhole also seems to be sagging more. The newspaper went to investigate and found that it was, indeed, the case. Not only is the sinkhole much bigger than a year ago, but the new cracks around it are much closer to the tar road. To make matters worse, several cracks have also developed in the ground on the other side of the road. The newspaper asked Sanral on Tuesday when the sinkhole would be fixed and what the plans are for the road. “The sinkhole will be repaired as part of an upgrade project planned for the R501, the project is currently at the design stage. This stage is scheduled for completion towards the end of 2022,” says Sanral’s operations and maintenance manager for the Northern region, Mr Madoda Mthembu. “Once the aforementioned design stage has been concluded and the procurement process for appointing a new contractor is complete, the upgrade project for the R501, including the sinkhole repair, will commence. The start date is expected to be in June or July 2023,” he added. Mthembu also confirmed that the subsiding of the road has led to the road being closed again during the next week for the safety of road users. Sanral called on motorists not to remove the barriers that close the road again.
There are deep cracks between the sinkhole and the part of the R501 affected.
