The South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) has warned motorists to “expect road closures to allow for geotechnical investigations required for the rehabilitation of the N1 sinkhole near the Flying Saucer interchange in Centurion.”
These investigations are required to complete the design of the remedial works required for the rehabilitation of the sinkhole, said Sanral.
As a result, the N1 southbound between the Flying Saucer interchange and Botha Avenue on N1/R21 will be closed from 23h00 on Sunday, 6 February until 04h00 on Monday, 7 February.
“Only one lane will be open this period,” said Progress Hlahla, Sanral Northern Region manager.
“The closure is required for gravity survey testing taking place in the fast lanes of the southbound carriageway as part of the geotechnical investigations required for the remediation works on the sinkhole”
Motorists traveling southbound towards Johannesburg may consider using the following alternative routes, said Sanral:
- From Polokwane, offramp at Proefplaas interchange (145) towards Pretoria CBD using the N4/M2 and join the M3 towards Fountains and join the N14.
- From OR Tambo International airport, continue on the R21 towards Fountain circle and join the N14.
“Motorists are requested to plan their trips accordingly, consider alternative routes and use caution when making use of the roads,” said Hlahla.
N1 sinkhole
According to Hlahla, Sanral became aware of the N1 sinkhole at the start of January and has since closed off affected lanes and redirected traffic as necessary.
After discovering the sinkhole, Sanral sent a team of engineers along with Routine Road Maintenance contractors to assess the situation, reported News24 on January 10th.
The sinkhole appeared next to the highway after a heavy spout of rainfall in the area, with “geotechnical specialists” brought in to determine the correct path of action.
FirstHelp towing services published the below photos of the N1 sinkhole on Twitter at the time, stating that the situation is dangerous and the tar on the road is visibly cracking.
N1 sinkhole
Loading ...
