Work still at a standstill on Dr Enos Mabuza Drive

One of the most iconic roads in the City, Dr Enos Mabuza Drive, which covers approximately 12 kilometres through town, is both a blessing and a curse.

Functioning as a vital artery connecting suburbs throughout Mbombela, it has been a cause for concern due to the high speeds at which road users travel on it.

According to Joseph Ngala, spokesman for the City of Mbombela Local Municipality (CMLM), Dr Enos Mabuza Drive is classified as a main collector road. “It has to accommodate many public-transport vehicles and the traffic department has implemented a strict speed law-enforcement programme as one of the interventions on the road,” he said.

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“The intersection at Pennywhistle Street has been a nightmare. Many accidents, some serious, occur on the stretch between the Steiltes roundabout and Pennywhistle Street intersection,” said DA councillor, Sanley van der Merwe.

According to her, there is little the municipality can do in the way of traffic calming on the stretch of road.

“I have made numerous requests to CMLM to tend to the issue, but have been informed by a number of experts that due to the steep incline of the road, neither speed bumps nor a traffic light can be constructed as it is in contravention of the acceptable standards set out by the National Road Traffic Act, Act 93/96,” she said.

Ngala added that due to the high volumes of traffic, calming measures such as speed bumps cannot be considered. “The erection of stop signs may not be used for traffic calming. These are implemented to accommodate movement,” he said.

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As a way of finding solutions to the continued danger posed to motorists on a number of sections of the road, Ngala added that CMLM is looking into widening parts to accommodate larger traffic volumes.

To this end the municipality started a process of widening a section of the road at the Leeupaadjie Street intersection, but due to budget constraints construction was halted in September. At the time Nelspruit Post reported on the matter.

Van der Merwe, who is the ward councillor for the area, said she expects that with the tabling of the adjustment budget which is expected to happen at a special council meeting before the end of the month, CMLM will announce its plans with regard to the expansion of sections of Dr Enos Mabuza Drive.

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“I expect that the municipality will possibly set aside a portion of the budget to tend to parts of the road, but this will only be certain once the meeting has taken place,” she said.