Work has commenced on the repair of flood-damaged bridges in Coffee Bay, as well as fixing potholes on the R411 between Viedgesville and Coffee Bay.
This comes after the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) and the King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) Local Municipality conducted an inter-governmental site assessment of the road recently.
The delegation was led by KSD municipality infrastructure MMC councillor, Ziyanda Nokayi, and SANRAL’s Southern regional manager, Mbulelo Peterson.
“Today’s site visit was three-pronged, in that we sought to assess progress made in the emergency pothole repair work that commenced last November after our appointment of the contractor, Rainbow Civils,” said Peterson.
“The visit also sought to assess the extent of damage to the three bridges that collapsed along the road from the floods that hit the Coffee Bay area in March this year, and to introduce to the municipality the contractor, Razzmatazz, that was appointed on May 5,” added Peterson.
“As KSD Local Municipality, we appreciate that SANRAL has delivered on their promise that the potholes on this road would be attended to with urgency.”
“We are happy with the progress and with SANRAL’s work in this community. We also understand that the bigger project that was announced by the former Transport Minister will be implemented in the next three to four years and we look forward to that,” said councillor Nokayi.
Mqanduli Taxi Association member, Derrick Mdibaniso, who also serves in the Project Liaison Committee for the bridge repairs project, commended the difference made by the pothole repairs done thus far along the route, adding that the taxi industry looked forward to completion of all the repairs, especially towards the second half of the road that is in very bad condition.
The emergency repairs, started last year by Rainbow Civils, are focused on pothole repairs, drainage systems, edge build-up removal and construction of edge beams where required, shoulder repairs where high drop-offs are encountered, and pavement construction. The repairs have reached the halfway mark and completion is anticipated at the end of August.
Nokayi said that the local leadership and the fully-representative elected PLC structure would ensure the project is implemented smoothly and that locals benefit and participate meaningfully in the bridge repair work.
Chief Ngubendlovu Pali, leader of Qhugi Village in Coffee Bay where the Nenga Bridge is situated, welcomed the intervention by SANRAL to fix the three bridges.
“It’s been difficult for the community that has been using a ladder to cross the road. That has been especially difficult for the elderly. We are grateful for SANRAL’s intervention to repair the bridges for this community,” he said.
– ISSUED BY FTI CONSULTING ON BEHALF OF SANRAL
