The afternoon thunderstorms synonymous with Johannesburg are fast becoming known for their devastating effect on the city’s landscape. Floods, damaged trees and destruction of aging infrastructure are the common results in the aftermath of the downpours.
The public has been asked to please avoid Albertina Sisulu Road on the section adjacent to Cecil Payne Stadium. The road had been closed temporarily, but evidence suggests that the steel dustbins and caution tape were little deterrent to impatient motorists. Heavy traffic is flowing over the affected area and with Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) yet to ascertain the full scale of the damage, the potential danger is also unknown.
This video footage taken on the morning of 6 October, shows the section of earth that has collapsed into the drainage system:
The fault line runs across the main arterial toward the drain on the Cecil Payne Stadium side of the network. The affected area is at the corner of Natalie Street and Albertina Sisulu Road.
Those approaching the area from the N1 highway are advised to turn right onto Goldman Street just before the Donovan McDonald Retirement Village or left onto Arthur Matthews Avenue toward Main Reef Road. For motorists approaching from Roodepoort, Goldman Street can be accessed via 9th Avenue. JRA is expected to be on scene today to assess the full extent of the damage and their report will be relayed once forthcoming.
