Sinkhole caused by illegal mining closes down important road in Joburg

The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) with immediate effect has closed off one lane of Miles Stoker Road in the Roodepoort direction due to a sinkhole that has developed because of illegal mining activity in the area, including tunnelling beneath the road surface, the agency said in a statement on social media.

“For safety reasons, the northbound carriageway along Miles Stoker Road, between Main Reef Road and Roodepoort, is temporarily closed,” said the JRA.

“Traffic is diverted onto the southbound carriageway until further notice. Additional closures may be introduced to ensure the safety of the public.”

Videos taken at the scene show a hole that has formed in the road itself, with cracks continuing to the side of the pavement where a larger sinkhole has materialised.

JHB – Roodepoort: Miles Stoker Road – #SinkHole caused by illegal mining in the area – ROAD CLOSED via @CityofJoburgZA pic.twitter.com/suifC7vqTS

— TrafficSA (@TrafficSA) July 26, 2023

The closure of one lane means traffic will now share a single carriageway which heightens the risk of accidents.

“Motorists are urged to reduce speed and to switch on the vehicle’s headlamps when travelling at night, in the early morning, or during adverse lighting conditions,” said JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla.

More road closures in Joburg

The latest street closure follows several others in the City of Johannesburg that took place as a result of an explosion in the CBD around one week prior to the sinkhole’s formation on Miles Stoker Road.

In the late afternoon hours of 19 July, an underground explosion on Bree Street in the City’s CBD damaged dozens of vehicles, injured over 40 civilians, and resulted in one fatality.

Following the incident, the JRA cordoned off the area to allow emergency and other critical services to get access, with the main arteries still closed off as of the time of writing.

These include:

• Simon and Bree Street
• Harrison and Bree Street
• Loveday Street both sides

The cause of the explosion was initially believed to be an underground gas pipeline that somehow caught alight, however, ongoing investigations by the JRA has disproved many of the initial theories and the main reason for the explosion remains inconclusive.