Gautrain work banned in road

gautrain work banned in road

johannesburg - the bombela concession company has been given a go ahead to resume with construction work in ten other areas except on oxford road in rosebank, johannesburg, the department of minerals and energy said on thursday.
this, after a road collapsed in oxford road during drilling operations for the gautrain rail project on tuesday.

"the company was given a go ahead this [thursday] afternoon to drill in the 10 other areas where drilling was halted, except on oxford road" said," spokesperson bheki khumalo.

inspectors were issued instructions on tuesday that no further underground work be done in the area.

the collapse created an eight metre by 12 metre hole in the road between 8th and north avenues.

a gautrain safety representative said he had "no idea" what caused the collapse, which happened during underground construction work around 13:30.

"it was a shock," the representative said.

rock engineers would are carrying out thorough investigations, and the department would only lift the order for work to be done on oxford road once it had been satisfied, from the engineers' report, that excavations posed no further hazards.

the order was issued in terms of mine, health and safety legislation.

it appeared that a water mains was hit during the drilling because water was gushing out of the hole, into which part of a wall and a lamp post had fallen.

safety officials were trying to determine if there were any other cracks along the road which could be dangerous.

no one was injured during the collapse.