The provincial department of public works is forging ahead with a plan to construct a tar road to replace one of the most notorious gravel roads in the province.
The Willowvale main road in the Mbashe municipality is set to receive a major facelift costing R1.6-billion.
Public works MEC Thandiswa Marawu will today officially launch the project at a sod-turning event.
The project will also see internal bypass roads being upgraded to tar roads of high standards.
The department’s spokesman Mpumzi Zuzile yesterday told the Daily Dispatch the project will be rolled-out in four phases.
“Umso Construction has been appointed to start construction and they have already developed a site. As part of the Wild Coast meander, this road is set to boost the economy, especially that of local business.”
The stretch of gravel road is notorious for gruesome car accidents mostly caused by the conditions of the road. Last year in August the road claimed 35 lives in a bus accident.
The accident, which happened on a dangerous curve on the gravel road, was one of the Eastern Cape’s worst.
The vehicle was filled with villagers on their way to Butterworth to do their shopping. Only nine people survived, among them eight-year-old Kamva Ntsasa from Lower Gwadu village near Willowvale.
Zuzile said the contractor was on site and the expected construction period would be 18 months.
“The gravel road will be upgraded to a surface road of a higher standard. This road will also help lower the number of accidents that were experienced before,” he said, adding that more than 40% of the workforce in the implementation of this project is expected to be local.
“We are looking at over 500 people who will benefit from employment,” he said.
During her policy speech earlier this year, Marawu announced that the project would include the construction of four bridges.
“Designs for the bridges are already completed. If we start with all the phases simultaneously, we can finish the project within two years. However, if there are delays we will finish in three to four years. We are currently in negotiation with the national department of transport to give us the full amount so that we can roll out all the phases at the same time,” she said.
In January the Dispatch reported that Marawu consulted with local traditional leaders to get their support for the project.
She presented the department’s plans for the road with a breakdown of how the project would be rolled out and the benefits spread. — siphem@dispatch.co.za
Deadly road to get R1.6bn tar upgrade
The Willowvale main road in the Mbashe municipality is set to receive a major facelift costing R1.6-billion.
Public works MEC Thandiswa Marawu will today officially launch the project at a sod-turning event.
The project will also see internal bypass roads being upgraded to tar roads of high standards.
The department’s spokesman Mpumzi Zuzile yesterday told the Daily Dispatch the project will be rolled-out in four phases.
“Umso Construction has been appointed to start construction and they have already developed a site. As part of the Wild Coast meander, this road is set to boost the economy, especially that of local business.”
The stretch of gravel road is notorious for gruesome car accidents mostly caused by the conditions of the road. Last year in August the road claimed 35 lives in a bus accident.
The accident, which happened on a dangerous curve on the gravel road, was one of the Eastern Cape’s worst.
The vehicle was filled with villagers on their way to Butterworth to do their shopping. Only nine people survived, among them eight-year-old Kamva Ntsasa from Lower Gwadu village near Willowvale.
Zuzile said the contractor was on site and the expected construction period would be 18 months.
“The gravel road will be upgraded to a surface road of a higher standard. This road will also help lower the number of accidents that were experienced before,” he said, adding that more than 40% of the workforce in the implementation of this project is expected to be local.
“We are looking at over 500 people who will benefit from employment,” he said.
During her policy speech earlier this year, Marawu announced that the project would include the construction of four bridges.
“Designs for the bridges are already completed. If we start with all the phases simultaneously, we can finish the project within two years. However, if there are delays we will finish in three to four years. We are currently in negotiation with the national department of transport to give us the full amount so that we can roll out all the phases at the same time,” she said.
In January the Dispatch reported that Marawu consulted with local traditional leaders to get their support for the project.
She presented the department’s plans for the road with a breakdown of how the project would be rolled out and the benefits spread. — siphem@dispatch.co.za
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