Heavy and prolonged rains throughout Johannesburg have left their marks on our roads. Everywhere you look are potholes. Especially during December existing potholes became bigger, old ones re-emerged, and new ones formed. During the rain, and even after, various vehicles hitting the obstructions in the road have been damaged and the potholes have become bigger whenever a vehicle hit it.
One of the many roads littered with the damaging potholes is Judd Street in Horison. The state of this street is becoming an increasingly severe problem for residents and motorists in the area. The numerous potholes are damaging vehicles and are continuously becoming deeper, bigger, and more dangerous to motorists. One of the potholes on the corner of Konig Avenue has turned into a trench that runs across Judd Street.
Another issue on this street is with two stop signs. A missing stop sign on the corner of Judd Street and Stapelberg Avenue has become a hazard, and the victims of a recent motor vehicle accident had to be hospitalised. The stop sign on the corner of Judd Street and Swart Avenue had been badly vandalised, not only creating potential danger because the black spray paint made the sign difficult to see at night, but it was also an eyesore to the community.
The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) responded to the complaints by concerned Horison residents on Wednesday, 8 January and conducted an investigation that evening. The following day, the entity returned to Judd Street and replaced the vandalised stop sign.
According to the Head of Infrastructure Development for JRA, Siyabonga Genu, the potholes and the trench on this road are high on the entity’s priority list. The JRA asphalt plant has been closed for the festive season and will reopen on Monday, 13 January. Genu promised that, should the weather permit, the potholes and the trench on Judd Street should all be repaired by Friday, 17 January.
The entity apologised to residents for the inconvenience and thanked them for their cooperation and patience while the plant was closed. Several potholes have been filled since the December rains, but there are still numerous more to go. Residents are asked to continue to report potholes to JRA so they can be made aware of everything they need to fix. There has been a huge amount of damage to the road lately, so continuously reporting the damage affecting your route is the best way to bring it to JRA’s attention. The more people reporting the same issue, the better.
You can report issues to JRA in the following ways:
• Call 0860 562 874
• Email hotline@jra.org.za
• Use the Find and Fix mobile app
• Log an issue online at https://www.findandfix.jra.org.za or https://www.jra.org.za
