Major water pipe burst causes road closure on High Level Road
The City of Cape Town has advised of roadworks on High Level Road, near Arthur's Road in Sea Point.
Image: SUPPLIED
Sea Point commuters faced significant disruption this week after a major water pipe burst on High Level Road, near Arthur's Road, causing a complete road closure for most of Tuesday, January 20.
The incident occurred in the early hours of the morning.
While it was briefly reopened for morning peak-hour traffic, repair work resumed around 10am, necessitating a renewed closure at the intersection.
Councillor for Ward 54 Nicola Jowell kept residents informed about the necessary detour via her WhatsApp channel.
The City of Cape Town confirmed the complexity of the repair.
"The pipe is very deep under the ground, and it took a considerable amount of time just to gain access to the pipe and the damaged section," said Ms Jowell.
Residents and businesses also experienced disruptions to their water supply throughout the morning as crews worked on the site.
Mayoral committee member for water and sanitation Zahid Badroodien said that High Level Road was finally reopened at 1.30am on Wednesday, January 21, after the reinstatement was completed.
The water supply to the affected area was restored at 9.45pm on Tuesday, January 20.
Mr Badroodien attributed the failure to ageing infrastructure.
“The pipe burst is attributed to ageing infrastructure and general wear and tear, resulting in a longitudinal crack along the bottom of the 225 mm diameter cast iron pipe,” he said.
The City was alerted to the burst at 3.04am on Tuesday, January 20, and first-level responders acted immediately.
The repair took most of the day, requiring a combination of manual and mechanical excavation. The department apologised for the significant inconvenience caused by the emergency repair, urging motorists to continue allowing for extra travel time until conditions fully normalise.
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