Two-month wait ends as dangerous Pinetown sinkhole finally secured

Motorists and concerned Pinetown residents breathed a sigh of relief after a collapsed portion of Forest Road was cordoned off on Thursday, two months after it was reported. 

Concerned Pinetown resident Ria Alison said the damaged portion of the road was on a busy thoroughfare, next to Gelofte Skool sports field.

Alison said that they reported the matter in January and became concerned when they saw no evidence of any intervention by the eThekwini Municipality. 

“This sinkhole has destroyed most of the pavement in one area. Residents were concerned that the hole could expand and begin undercutting Forest Road, which would be a disaster if it fell away. Our repeated requests to fence the area off fell on deaf ears,” Alison said. 

Commenting anonymously, a resident said that aside from the danger, if the road collapses, it will cut off thousands of residents, businesses, and emergency services from being able to access the area. 

“This places additional strain on small residential roads as a diversion of traffic would need to occur. You basically cut one of the major arterial roads into Ashley, Gillitts Road industrial area and Westmead off if this road caves in,” the resident said. 

Another resident said that apart from putting pressure on other alternative roads, should it collapse, the beginning of this sinkhole is right next to a school, which puts additional fear that learners in that field may be hurt. 

A motorist said he was concerned that a heavy-duty steel truck going towards the steel works in Pinetown might topple over if the road was further undercut. 

eThekwini Municipality’s spokesperson, Gugu Sisilana, said that a preliminary investigation suggested that the stormwater pipe failed due to flooding because of high rain intensity.

“The city is evaluating and analysing the extent of the damage under way. The city has barricaded the affected section of the road. Once the investigation has been completed, repairs to this road are expected to commence,” she said.  

zainul.dawood@inl.co.za