A dangerous pothole on a busy stretch of the R55 in Johannesburg was repaired on the same day that a ward councillor shared a video of the hazard on social media.
The pothole, near Kyalami Estate, had been troubling motorists for months.
Ward 132 councillor Annette Deppe said the section had become increasingly dangerous as the pothole had steadily grown.
The R55 is a major north–south provincial road in Gauteng linking Sandton and Pretoria, passing key suburbs and connecting to the M1, N14 and R80 highways.
“Taxis and commuters use this stretch of road every day, from the north of Pretoria down this section of the R55,” Deppe said in her video.
Deppe posted the video of the road damage on X, tagging the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport (GDRT).
The footage showed the scale of the pothole and the risk it posed to road users. A chevron had been placed in front of the pothole as a warning to motorists.
“This pothole has developed again in the last three months,” she stated.
“The province knows about it – it was reported to them last year several times but we still have had no action from them.”
The councillor also expressed her concerns over how “cramped” the section had become due to vehicles having to circumvent the road damage.
“At least 500 metres of this section of road really needs a resurface.”
Video results in swift response from road authorities
According to Deppe, the response was immediate and the pothole was repaired later the same day.
“This was very serious, and it’s good to finally see action,” Deppe told The Fourways Review.
For years, Johannesburg’s roads have been suffering from infrastructure decay.
This has left the city grappling with a severe pothole problem while the Johannesburg Roads Agency also battles a growing backlog.
This particular pothole however was prioritised thanks to Deppe’s intentioned and well-timed video.
The councillor also hopes that a long-standing sinkhole on the opposite side of the road will be tended to with the same urgency.
“GDRT promised to attend to the sinkhole by the Kyalami traffic lights, which I will check to confirm,” Deppe added.
