It’s been described by the owner of an artisan gold mine as “the worst road in South Africa” – an 18km patchy stretch of gravel and tar between KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.
And while the department of transport has forked out close to R90m to refurbish the road, there is very little to show for it.
The first phase of the project, which entailed the refurbishment of 9km of road in Mpumalanga, was suspended in November last year, just five months after construction began, due to “inadequacies in the original design, community disruptions and Covid-19”.
Spokesperson for the department of public works, roads and transport in Mpumalanga Bongani Dlamini said a decision was made to carry out the rehabilitation in two phases, two engineering consultants being appointed to design about 9km each.
“The department went out to tender for Part A (phase 1) the 9km from the N2 and an award for Part A was done in April 2019, and construction commenced in June 2019. The physical progress is currently at 56% and the project is on hold pending consideration for additional costs due to the design review approved by the department. The project is behind the construction programme and has been suspended since November 2021.”
He said the second phase for the remaining 9km is due for procurement in late 2023/24 or early 2024/25 subject to budget availability.
“This section of the road is currently in very poor condition,” said Dlamini.
Dirk Kotze of Readira Projects, an engineering and construction firm in the Klipwal area, confirmed it had been awarded the tender for the refurbishment of the road but declined to comment any further, referring all queries to the department.
Acting chairperson of the provincial legislature's portfolio committee on transport, Lisa Mangcu, said they were not aware of the project.
“There is nothing stopping the portfolio committee on transport inquiring into this matter in the new year. But this will have to be tabled in the committee by DOT [department of transport]. And if there are challenges the national department of transport, through the roads entity Sanral, will bring those to the attention of the committee.”
The owner of Bosveld Mine in the region, Quinton George, who travels the road on a weekly basis, said it was disgraceful.
“Only one half of it has been done and yet so much money has been spent by throwing mud into potholes, which is a temporary fix – and by temporary I mean days, not weeks or months. As a peripheral road on the edge of Mpumalanga it should be getting better attention.”
A resident in the area, Thabo Ndlovu, said: “It is hard to believe that in this day and age there are roads like this in South Africa. It’s neither gravel nor a tar road. It would be better if it was just gravel to be honest. I drive on the edge of the road that is just gravel because the shocks on my car have been damaged from driving into these potholes every day.” –TimesLIVE
Motorists slam 'the worst road in the country'
'Millions spent to throw mud into potholes'
Image: Supplied
It’s been described by the owner of an artisan gold mine as “the worst road in South Africa” – an 18km patchy stretch of gravel and tar between KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.
And while the department of transport has forked out close to R90m to refurbish the road, there is very little to show for it.
The first phase of the project, which entailed the refurbishment of 9km of road in Mpumalanga, was suspended in November last year, just five months after construction began, due to “inadequacies in the original design, community disruptions and Covid-19”.
Spokesperson for the department of public works, roads and transport in Mpumalanga Bongani Dlamini said a decision was made to carry out the rehabilitation in two phases, two engineering consultants being appointed to design about 9km each.
“The department went out to tender for Part A (phase 1) the 9km from the N2 and an award for Part A was done in April 2019, and construction commenced in June 2019. The physical progress is currently at 56% and the project is on hold pending consideration for additional costs due to the design review approved by the department. The project is behind the construction programme and has been suspended since November 2021.”
He said the second phase for the remaining 9km is due for procurement in late 2023/24 or early 2024/25 subject to budget availability.
“This section of the road is currently in very poor condition,” said Dlamini.
Dirk Kotze of Readira Projects, an engineering and construction firm in the Klipwal area, confirmed it had been awarded the tender for the refurbishment of the road but declined to comment any further, referring all queries to the department.
Acting chairperson of the provincial legislature's portfolio committee on transport, Lisa Mangcu, said they were not aware of the project.
“There is nothing stopping the portfolio committee on transport inquiring into this matter in the new year. But this will have to be tabled in the committee by DOT [department of transport]. And if there are challenges the national department of transport, through the roads entity Sanral, will bring those to the attention of the committee.”
The owner of Bosveld Mine in the region, Quinton George, who travels the road on a weekly basis, said it was disgraceful.
“Only one half of it has been done and yet so much money has been spent by throwing mud into potholes, which is a temporary fix – and by temporary I mean days, not weeks or months. As a peripheral road on the edge of Mpumalanga it should be getting better attention.”
A resident in the area, Thabo Ndlovu, said: “It is hard to believe that in this day and age there are roads like this in South Africa. It’s neither gravel nor a tar road. It would be better if it was just gravel to be honest. I drive on the edge of the road that is just gravel because the shocks on my car have been damaged from driving into these potholes every day.” –TimesLIVE
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