Kilburn Street hazard causes a conundrum for residents

The lack of a solid path forward has led to the erosion of belief in municipal entities.

With every bout of persistent rainfall and every heavy truck that passes by, the chasm along Kilburn Street grows a fraction bigger. The section of road forms part of a four-lane bridge over a valley, covering a storm water drain with steep embankments on either side. For over two years, the left-hand lane heading east toward Florida has been closed, with a concrete barrier and caution tape now part of the scenery.

Residents have been asking questions since the day the lane was closed and in the latest of municipal leader visits, new MMC for Transport, Funzela Ngobeni, came to inspect the hole. Following the site visit, Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) sent their inspectors to the site, with the MMC relaying that the hole is beyond regional operations intervention, and that JRA will send their planning team to site to make a further assessment.

New Ward 84 councillor, Johannes Goosen, echoes this response but resident and new City of Johannesburg council member, Esmie Liebenberg, believes it need not have gotten to this point. Esmie questions why the previous administration never addressed the matter more urgently, but previous ward councillor Gert Niemand insists proper steps were taken, saying, “It was reported to JRA and handed over to their bridge department and engineering section. I believe it has been placed on the bridge repair programme.”

Given the magnitude of the project and the pace at which bridges may take to repair, the inconvenience caused by such a project could be lengthy. The road is a popular route through Roodepoort, serving as an overflow and alternative to Ontdekkers Road, making a lengthy closure a troubling prospect. Some, however, feel that no inconvenience can be equated with the possibility of tragedy. “As a parent whose daughter takes the bus, it is extremely concerning as it takes just one incident to change a life,” said resident, Sean Venter.

The ball is in the court of JRA and they have yet to share any details of the inspections, possible project timelines or anything pertaining to the repairs. Residents plan to petition the council for urgent repairs, and with the new MMC taking a concerted interest in the matter, hopes for a resolution are high. At roughly 15 metres wide and almost 10 metres deep, the clock is ticking toward total failure.