Motorists are urged to reduce speed when driving on Nick Toomey Boulevard heading towards Main Reef Road in Roodepoort, as the road is close to collapsing.
After doing a site inspection at the corner of Nick Toomey Boulevard and Main Reef Road a short while ago, the Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) put up signage and painted markings on the road indicating that motorists should reduce their speed to 40 kilometres per hour. However, a few days later, the signage was stolen. JRA has also applied for a road diversion plan, which, if approved by the City, is likely to result in the road being closed.
“Motorists should start looking at alternative routes, so that when the road is closed, they already have a plan to get to where they are going,” said the Ward 71 councillor, René Benjamin.
It is alleged that illegal miners, also known as zama-zamas, are responsible for the collapsing road. Nick Toomey Boulevard is located near some of the illegal mining that is taking place and affecting the quality and safety of the roads.
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The JRA is of the opinion that the road stands a good chance of collapsing, as it is getting weaker by the day.
The Record went to speak to residents and business owners in the area. They stated that they can hear and see the illegal mining activities taking place all day and all night.
One of the residents said that for the past few years they’ve been having trouble getting a good night’s rest because that is when most of the illegal mining activities take place. Residents are also frequently woken up in the middle of night by the sound of explosions.
“I live about 200 metres from the mine, and no one in this area knows what sleep is. These illegal miners communicate by using whistles, so we hear them whistling to each other throughout the night. We also hear continuous gunfire and in the mornings, we often hear that several people died during the night,” one of the residents explained.
At the time of going to print, JRA had not made an announcement as to when the road will officially be closed for repairs, or how long the repairs will take. However, the Record will be doing a follow-up story on the matter.
