Good news for the N1 sinkhole

The South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) has advised motorists that the rehabilitation of the N1 sinkhole near the Flying Saucer Interchange in Centurion has reached the next phase, which will require the shifting of traffic on the southbound carriageway.

The traffic shift is currently planned to occur from 09h00 on Friday, 26 July, until 21h00 on Sunday, 28 July, during which time the traffic past the construction site will be reduced to between two and three lanes for various periods.

These traffic control measures will only affect the southbound lanes, Sanral said.

Alternative routes are available, including the M10 (Rigel offramp) or the R21 Section 2 towards Solomon Mahlangu or Nellmapius Offramp to avoid the N1 section 21, as shown below:

“Motorists are requested to strictly adhere to the traffic accommodation and signage provided,” said the roads agency.

Sinkhole repair delayed

In May, Sanral revealed that the repairs to the N1 sinkhole would take far longer than previously expected following several hiccups during the construction process.

Initially, when the hazard formed in January 2022 the roads agency optimistically said it would be rehabilitated in four to six months, suggesting it would be gone no later than July 2022.

To the surprise of few, it was still there by May 2023 and Sanral subsequently said it would be a thing of the past by April 2024, provided there were no further unforeseen delays.

In May 2024, Sanral confirmed that things did not go smoothly, and that the rehabilitation is only anticipated to be completed in the second quarter of 2025 – approximately three years and three months after the sinkhole first materialised.

The complexity of the remedial work meant the tender took longer than usual to award, with the location of the sinkhole further complicating the repairs.

Sanral previously stated that the rehabilitation of the N1 sinkhole would cost in the region of R280 million, though it’s unclear whether the additional year of construction will add to this already enormous bill.