R500 closed after major sikhole in Carletonville

The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport has urged motorists to stay away from the R500 near Carletonville after a massive sinkhole caused more than 80% of the road surface to collapse. The affected section, located within the West Rand District Municipality, has been completely closed as engineers move in to assess the full extent of the damage.

According to the department, preliminary inspections show that the collapse has rendered the stretch of road extremely unsafe. Barriers have been installed and technical teams were dispatched on Tuesday to begin a comprehensive geotechnical evaluation to determine the stability of the surrounding area.

Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, appealed to the public to remain vigilant and strictly avoid the route.

“We urge all road users to avoid the R500 Road near the sinkhole site,” she said. “The collapse poses a serious risk and the priority is the safety of motorists as we continue to assess the full extent of the damage. We ask the public to cooperate fully with authorities and make use of alternative routes until further notice.”

The sinkhole is the latest in a growing list of hazardous ground collapses in Gauteng — many of them linked to unstable dolomitic land. In recent years, dangerous sinkholes have opened in densely populated areas including Boksburg, Katlehong, Centurion and Krugersdorp, frequently disrupting major roads, damaging infrastructure and posing safety threats to communities.

In Boksburg, repeated sinkhole incidents have forced periodic road closures, prompting costly repairs and long-term monitoring by municipal engineers. Katlehong has also seen residential areas affected, with several homes and streets damaged after sudden collapses. Experts say ongoing pressure from underground water movement, ageing infrastructure and unstable soil conditions continue to contribute to these failures.

The Carletonville region, long known for its vulnerability to sinkholes due to mining activity and dolomitic ground, remains one of the country’s most high-risk areas. Previous collapses in the vicinity have swallowed vehicles, damaged utilities and forced emergency evacuations.

Motorists travelling in the broader West Rand are being advised to seek alternative routes, plan for delays and obey all diversion signage. Authorities warned that approaching the affected area even out of curiosity; could be extremely dangerous given the possibility of further collapse.

The Department of Roads and Transport said it will continue to monitor the situation closely and will provide updates as soon as additional assessments are completed.

The closure is expected to remain in place until engineers deem the route safe for travel, with officials indicating that repairs on dolomitic land often require extensive stabilisation work.