The Water and Sanitation Directorate has appointed a contractor to determine the extent of the repairs required, and to complete the work.

Over the past week, the contractor has:

• broken through the road surface and removed the tar
• excavated a large quantity of sand to get to the affected pipe
• installed shoring to prevent the excavation site from caving in
• begun over-pumping the sewage to clear out the collapsed section of the pipe
  

The final timeframe on the repair work is dependent on the exact extent of pipe replacement required – this will be determined once the pipe (which is between 3,5m and 4m deep) is fully exposed.

The measures currently implemented are there to safeguard the repair crew during the course of their work, as well as the motorists travelling along this route. 

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT AND ROUTE DIVERSIONS

Since the closure of Prince George Drive, traffic heading northbound has been diverted onto Joe Marks Boulevard, into various side streets (10th, 11th, 12th Avenue and Peter Charles Street), and onto Retreat Main Road to rejoin Prince George Drive in Grassy Park.

This morning, 29 March 2023, Cape Town Traffic Services implemented a contra flow, turning the dual southbound carriageway of Prince George Drive into a two-way from 05:00 until 15:00, on a trial basis, to offer further relief to motorists.

Should the trial be successful, the contra flow will be implemented on weekdays, until the sewer repair has been completed.