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Thursday / 6 February 2025
HomeNews35-month headache ends for N1 users

35-month headache ends for N1 users

The infamous N1 sinkhole that formed near the Flying Saucer Interchange in the early days of January 2022 is very close to being fully repaired.

While there is still minor remedial work to complete over the coming weeks, motorists are once again enjoying all four lanes of the freeway completely unabated.

For the past almost three years, traffic jams have been a common occurrence in the area as one or more lanes were shut while construction was taking place.

As of 28 November 2024, traffic is flowing freely once again over a fresh, reinforced layer of asphalt.

Speaking to MyBroadband about the sinkhole’s progress, Thabo Mahlakwana, Northern Region project manager for the National Roads Agency (Sanral), said that a few “minor roadwork snags” remain for January 2025 before the contractor leaves the site.

Fortunately, he made no mention of any more planned lane closures.

Taking a bit longer than expected

When the N1 sinkhole first developed in January 2022, Sanral claimed it would be all fixed up in four to six months.

However, after the first inspections were completed it was deemed that more comprehensive repairs than initially expected were required.

Sanral subsequently confirmed in May 2023 that the sinkhole would be rehabilitated by early 2024, provided there were no further unforeseen delays.

Come May 2024, construction was steadily progressing but the hazard had not disappeared.

Sanral revealed that the complexity of the remedial work meant it took longer than anticipated to award the tender for the job, therefore, the sinkhole was now only projected to be a thing of the past by the second quarter of 2025 – approximately three years and three months after it materialised.

On the bright side, the agency said that while construction was only expected to cease halfway through next year, all lanes of the freeway should be open again by the end of 2024, a goal it has achieved with the opening of all lanes in November 2024.

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.

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