KOUGA – As part of the Eastern Cape Department of Transport’s October Transport Month activities, transport MEC, Xolile Nqatha, officially opened the newly rehabilitated and resealed provincial road between Humansdorp and Hankey in the Sarah Baartman District.
According to the department’s spokesperson, Unathi Binqose, the official opening forms part of the department’s October Transport Month activities.
“The project involved the resealing and special maintenance of provincial route MR00391, covering approximately 27.4 kilometres between Humansdorp and Hankey,” he said. “The route traverses urban, peri-urban and rural areas, including a mountain pass and a low-level bridge crossing over the Gamtoos River.”
Binqose added that the construction work commenced in June 2024 and took 20 months to complete.
“The rehabilitation forms part of the department’s ongoing efforts to preserve and maintain the provincial road network, improve road conditions and support safer, more reliable travel for motorists and other road users,” he said.
MEC Nqatha said the project demonstrates the importance of sustained investment in road infrastructure and the need to maintain existing roads to ensure they continue serving communities effectively.
“Road infrastructure is about more than connecting one town to another. It is about connecting people to economic opportunities, enabling the movement of goods and services, and ensuring that communities remain accessible.
“Through projects such as the rehabilitation of the Humansdorp–Hankey Road, we are investing in the preservation of our provincial road network and improving the travelling experience for the people of the Eastern Cape,” said Nqatha.
He added that the department’s responsibility is not only to build new roads, but also to maintain the infrastructure they already have so that it continues to serve present and future generations.
In addition to the original scope of work along the Humansdorp–Hankey route, Binqose said additional maintenance sections were incorporated during the contract period at St Francis Bay Road in Humansdorp, the Hankey Main Road (R330), and Union Avenue in Kariega, within the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality.
Binqose explained that the project is expected to improve road safety and facilitate the movement of agricultural produce from this farming region to markets, supporting local businesses and economic growth.
“The construction phase also created employment opportunities for local residents and helped strengthen the capacity of local contractors,” he said.
At the official reopening, Nqatha said the project demonstrates how investment in road infrastructure can deliver wider economic benefits. He also called on the community to protect and safeguard the road, emphasising that it was made possible through public funds generated by taxpayers.
“This road connects farming communities to markets and economic opportunities. Beyond improving travel conditions, the project has created jobs for local residents and helped build the capacity of local contractors,” he said.
“I urge the community to take ownership of this infrastructure and protect it. It is their tax money that has made this investment possible, and we all have a responsibility to ensure that it continues to serve present and future generations,” Nqatha concluded.
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