A notorious stretch of gravel road between Willowvale and Dwesa Nature Reserve, which claimed the lives of 35 people in a horror crash last year, has been earmarked for major construction and development costing nearly R1-billion.
The August bus accident at a dangerous curve on the gravel road was one of the Eastern Cape’s worst-ever crashes.
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.
The construction work, currently set at R937-million, will be rolled out by the Eastern Cape department of roads and public works in four phases.
Roads and public works MEC Thandiswa Marawu, speaking through her communications department yesterday, said the contractor was due on site in March for phase one. It is expected that construction on the road will create more than 1000 jobs for people living in and around the area, with about R130-million to R140-million going towards salaries.”
About 30% of the work would go to emerging local companies. The entire project involves about 53km from Willowvale to Dwesa and some streets within Willowvale.
Marawu said 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 all the phases out at the same time.”
Marawu met with traditional leaders in the area last Friday to get their buy-in on the project.
She presented the department’s plans for the road with a breakdown of how the project would be rolled out and benefits spread.
Matimane Mlondleni of Willowvale, who was instrumental in setting up the meeting between Marawu and the traditional leaders, welcomed the move. He said that they were happy to finally meet with the MEC.
“The bus accident put more pressure on the department to take action. The facelift will not only address the issue of accidents but also increase easy access for tourists to the nature reserve,” he said.
Mlondleni’s son, who was 12, and his ex-wife were killed in the crash. “That curve is dangerous and it needs to be tarred. If you lose control there because of the gravel, you are bound to cause a major accident,” he said.
The head of Emveleni Traditional Council, Chief Montgomery Mazamisa, was feeling upbeat about the project.
“For some years we have been promised that the road would be improved and nothing has been done. At least now that we have met with the MEC, we have hope.
“Cars get damaged every day here, and people have to pay huge amounts to fix them. This also means that the traffic police will be visible, which will reduce the number of car accidents even further,” Mazamisa said.
R1bn plan for Dwesa death road
The August bus accident at a dangerous curve on the gravel road was one of the Eastern Cape’s worst-ever crashes.
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.
The construction work, currently set at R937-million, will be rolled out by the Eastern Cape department of roads and public works in four phases.
Roads and public works MEC Thandiswa Marawu, speaking through her communications department yesterday, said the contractor was due on site in March for phase one. It is expected that construction on the road will create more than 1000 jobs for people living in and around the area, with about R130-million to R140-million going towards salaries.”
About 30% of the work would go to emerging local companies. The entire project involves about 53km from Willowvale to Dwesa and some streets within Willowvale.
Marawu said 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 all the phases out at the same time.”
Marawu met with traditional leaders in the area last Friday to get their buy-in on the project.
She presented the department’s plans for the road with a breakdown of how the project would be rolled out and benefits spread.
Matimane Mlondleni of Willowvale, who was instrumental in setting up the meeting between Marawu and the traditional leaders, welcomed the move. He said that they were happy to finally meet with the MEC.
“The bus accident put more pressure on the department to take action. The facelift will not only address the issue of accidents but also increase easy access for tourists to the nature reserve,” he said.
Mlondleni’s son, who was 12, and his ex-wife were killed in the crash. “That curve is dangerous and it needs to be tarred. If you lose control there because of the gravel, you are bound to cause a major accident,” he said.
The head of Emveleni Traditional Council, Chief Montgomery Mazamisa, was feeling upbeat about the project.
“For some years we have been promised that the road would be improved and nothing has been done. At least now that we have met with the MEC, we have hope.
“Cars get damaged every day here, and people have to pay huge amounts to fix them. This also means that the traffic police will be visible, which will reduce the number of car accidents even further,” Mazamisa said.
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