Rainfall exacerbates hundreds of potholes

The recent rainfall has highlighted the alarming amount op potholes and sinkholes that plague Ermelo’s roads, as well as the roads in Wesselton and surrounding areas. The apathetic act by Msukaligwa Local Municipality (MLM) to fill the potholes with gravel and sand has come back to haunt the entity, as hundreds of potholes have been washed open, and in many cases, worsened by erosion and constant traffic across the soggy tar surface surround these potholes. Large sinkholes have also appeared where the thin layers of superficial tar have been washed away and trampled by traffic, eroding to such an extent that motorists often have to grit their teeth while unwittingly slamming into these deceptively deep, water filled sinkholes, causing extensive damage to their vehicles, tyres and wheel alignment.

The road conditions are further deteriorating at unfinished worksites, where MLM teams removed large sections of the tarred roadway, only to be haphazardly filled with loose soil. These sites are now completely eroded and deep crevices are left as a danger to motorists. Various sites in Cassim Park have residents fuming, where the deteriorated roadways have remained ignored by MLM for over four years.