Rehabilitation of road between Sabie and Graskop in progress

Tags

---

16-05-2022
Read : 376 times
Lowvelder
Source

A sinkhole developed some metres under the R532 which led to the need for blasting.

As most Lowvelders and Lowveld enthusiasts know, the R532 between Sabie and Graskop is well travelled. This was hampered last week due to a sinkhole that was identified during routine maintenance on the road.

During the rehabilitation period for the sinkhole, a temporary deviation was created to allow the public to still access the road.  Motorists were advised that the deviation would be temporarily closed due to blasting for the rehabilitation process, but this closure lasted longer than the announcement initially stated.

The Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport said during the rock blasting, some damages occurred on the temporary deviation. The road was set to be accessible on May 6, but only opened again on May 7.

Speaking to widespread allegations of negligence, the construction site manager for the contractor, Ndoni Properties, appointed by the department, said the job was done according to its specifications.

“The road has a cavity of more than 150m below the road and the blasting was done according to specs.”

He said the delay was merely in order for a professional assessment to take place and to ensure that the public would not be driving on a road that was unsafe, which could lead to liabilities on the company’s side.

He explained that all relevant parties were on the site on Friday, and following their assessment, the road was opened again on Saturday.

Explaining what led to the initial need for blasting, the department’s spokesperson, Bongani Dhlamini, said, “The sinkhole developed some metres under the road as a result of corrosion of the rock underneath. The corrosion happened at different points/sections of the road, so the sinkhole was made up of a number of cavities in the rock.

“It is therefore necessary to blast so that all the cavities are exposed and the repair will then start at the right depth and extends to cover all affected areas to minimise chances of a recurrence of the problem.

“In addition to the repairs, the drainage of water from the mountainside will also be cleared up and improved.”  According to the department, the rehabilitation of the sinkhole is planned to be completed by July 8.

For the tourism side, this closure did pose some challenges, but the COO of the Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism, Linda Grimbeek, said it is fortunate that the closure did not occur over one of the long weekends.  “Businesses were of course affected, but at least it was relatively quieter than during peak times.”

She mentioned that the Lowveld gets many tourists from Johannesburg’s side who start with the Panorama Route and then work their way to the Kruger National Park.

Added to the recent protest in the area, Grimbeek said the road has recently been a bit of a challenge, but also thanked those who helped in ensuring that the deviation was made accessible again. “The alternative routes are really, factually untraversable, so I believe people will not mind using the temporary road.”