THE resealing and repair of roads across the Kouga region is surging ahead – with R10 million set to be pumped into the repair and upgrade of roads in the 2021/22 financial year.
Kouga Executive Mayor, Horatio Hendricks, explained, “Almost 7.4km of road will be resealed in the current financial year, while several gravel roads will be tarred.”
Roads to be resealed include Gazelle Street, Spindle Street and Dolphin Drive in Jeffreys Bay, while Witels Street and Protea Street in Humansdorp have already been resealed. Roads also resealed in Jeffreys Bay include Seetuin Road, Aandblom Street and Oleander Street.
Gravel roads to be tarred are at the entrance to the golf course at KwaNomzamo in Humansdorp and Koerat and Mentoor streets at Kruisfontein in Humansdorp, as well as Galjoen and Strepie streets at Pellsrus in Jeffreys Bay.
“Kouga is making considerable progress in the resealing and repair of roads across the region – effectively reducing the R500 million backlog in road maintenance we inherited from the previous term,” said Hendricks.
“It is therefore impossible to address the backlog in one go, but we are making progress.
“Bit by bit we will slay the road giant.”
More than R43 million has been pumped into the resealing of roads since August 2016, while almost R1 million was spent on gravel road maintenance. Some R3 million was spent on the tarring of roads – for the first time in more than a decade.
“Roads that have already received a new lease on life are the access roads to Loerie, Dolphin Street in Pellsrus and the access road to Ocean View that passes Jeffreys Bay Comprehensive High,” said Hendricks.
“Other roads that were resealed include Du Plessis Street in Humansdorp and Judy Street in Loerieheuwe, as well as Uys Street and Noorsekloof Road in Jeffreys Bay.
“Charlie Malan, Tier and Stuurman streets in Patensie were also resealed, while St Francis Drive, Lyme Road, Steenbras Street and Da Gama Road in The Greater St Francis Area have received a new lease on life.
“Gravel roads tarred are Nerina Street, Felix Street, Human Street and the entrance to Maak-’n-Las in Humansdorp, as well as Tshume Street in Hankey.”
Hendricks said a good road network provided access to livelihoods and, furthermore, supported local economic development and the social well-being of communities – it is the arteries that feed the economy.
