Repairs to Belvedere Road brings cautious relief to Glen Austin residents

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28-10-2025
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Midrand Reporter
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While resurfacing work is underway on Belvedere Road, locals say underlying issues near Hampton and George roads still need urgent attention.

After years of frustration over crumbling roads and unfulfilled promises, Glen Austin residents are cautiously breathing a sigh of relief as long-awaited road resurfacing work gets underway. While many residents have welcomed the long-overdue improvements, some remain sceptical about whether the repairs will hold up in the long term.

Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) has begun rehabilitation work on Belvedere Road, one of the suburb’s most damaged and hazardous routes. The long-neglected road, riddled with deep potholes and uneven surfaces, had become a daily struggle for motorists who were forced to swerve onto verges to avoid damage to their vehicles.

JRA teams have moved in to mill and replace the worn-out surface with a fresh layer of asphalt. Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero, who recently led a high-impact service delivery campaign in Region A, confirmed that the resurfacing work is part of the city’s ongoing infrastructure improvement drive.

“Work continues in Glen Austin, Region A, where the team is milling and replacing the worn-out surface on Belvedere Road with a new layer of asphalt. This new surface will significantly improve the driving experience and help prevent the recurrence of potholes.”

According to JRA spokesperson Mosa Makhalima, work began on October 12 and is expected to be completed by October 24.

“We will remove the existing fatigued road surfacing. Once removed, the base will be compacted to achieve the required density and stability. Following compaction, the base will be primed for the new surface layer. The final step will involve applying the new asphalt as specified.”

Some residents, however, remain cautious about whether the repairs will hold up in the long term. Resident Mike Wiggill said that while the resurfacing is appreciated, it is ‘long overdue’. “I wait with bated breath to see how long it lasts.

The opposite end of the same block – Belvedere approaching George Road – is now riddled with potholes. They are still small, but experience tells me they won’t be attended to until the entire road surface has collapsed.”

He also expressed concern that Hampton Road remains untouched and that the sinking section of the road at the intersection of George and Hampton roads continues to worsen.

“We were told JRA would only attend after [Rand Water] had fixed their issues and the road dried out. [Rand Water] hasn’t attended, and I have no faith they will any time soon, and now we’re entering the rainy season again.”

Lead 2 headline: Sinkholes worsen in Glen Austin

In early March this year, JRA’s head of regional operations Khayalethu Gqibitole confirmed that an inspection had revealed the underlying cause of the sinkhole in Glen Austin, near George and Hampton roads.

“Our inspection indicates that there was inadequate compaction of the layer works during the installation of the pipeline. This substandard compaction likely contributed to the structural instability of the road surface, resulting in localised failure and the formation of the sinkhole.”

JRA stated that it is in contact with Rand Water to ensure the sinkhole is repaired as a matter of urgency. Despite the agency’s promise, in March, to address sinking on the corner of George and Hampton roads, seven months later, the agency has been mum.

As a result, another portion of the corner of Hampton and Dale roads in Glen Austin has begun sinking, causing more danger to motorists using that road.

The paper came across the sink on October 15, which is barricaded with barrier tape and metal barrels around the sinking.

Glen Austin Residents Association (Gara) chairperson John Mphatsoe said delays in repairing these roads would lead to more road damage along Hampton Road. “I was informed last week that JRA will do repairs. I am just not sure when, because I was not given clear details, except that JRA and Rand Water have reached an agreement that JRA will be the one doing repairs.”

JRA was contacted on October 17 to confirm if, indeed, a service level agreement was reached between the two entities and when the repair would start.

The publication has been contacting Rand Water media relations manager Justice Mohale since March through email, WhatsApp, and phone calls, but no response has been received.

We followed up again on October 20, but there was no response by the time the paper went to print. Both entities’ responses will be added as soon as they become available.

Meanwhile, residents remain hopeful that the current rehabilitation work on Belvedere Road signals a broader commitment from city authorities to restore Glen Austin’s road infrastructure before the next rainy season undoes their progress.