Lack of visibility a great concern
According to a resident, Ms Cilla Young, the situation has worsened in the past months due to the quality of the product being used for road maintenance.
LYDENBURG – Residents of the Rietfontein area say the dusty and pothole-ridden D736 will soon lead to fatal accidents if the Mpumalanga Department of Roads and Transport does not intervene. The road is situated outside Lydenburg just before the R36/Badfontein Road.
The gravel road gets so dusty that motorists cannot see vehicles behind and ahead of them while driving during the day. At night the situation is even worse, they claim.
Dust is one of the biggest challenges faced by motorists, however, it is not the only issue. When it rains the road becomes extremely slippery. These conditions have left drivers feeling unsafe. It is alleged that the provincial department of roads is to blame for the condition of the road.
According to a resident, Ms Cilla Young, the situation has worsened in the past months due to the quality of the product being used for road maintenance.
“I have been staying in this area for many years and have never seen the dust and potholes as bad as they are currently. When the department was busy with maintenance we noticed that they were using a different concrete and we informed them that it would have adverse effects. There are trucks that carry timber from a local factory and sometimes it accidentally falls onto the road. Due to a lack of visibility you find yourself swerving out of the way to prevent hitting it.”
“Every time we called the department to inform them about the situation, they transfered us from one person to the next. Sometimes they even would hang up before we could finish talking,” said Young.
When Steelburger/Lydenburg News contacted the department, it confirmed that it was aware of the condition.
According to Ms Magdeline Matentshi, assistant manager of the media liaison and monitoring unit, the road is on the annual routine maintenance programme for 2016/17.
“The programme includes the fixing of potholes, selective regraveling, blading and grading. Surfacing was carried out on the four-kilometre section. This was considered appropriate at the time, based on the traffic volumes, natural soil conditions and available budget.”
The road requires timely maintenance. “Interventions will be carried out in the current financial year and the department will do its best to provide maintenance work for road users with the limited available resources and budget.”
