Repairs to the intersection of Voortrekker and Viljoen streets will, if all goes according to plan, be completed during the first week of April.

This was announced during a meeting on Monday by Themba Nyatsumbe of Zonk Engineering Consultants, the service provider appointed by Maanaka Projects on behalf of Thaba Chweu Local Municipality (TCLM).

He told Steelburger/Lydenburg News that the contractor on site had supplied them the information regarding the completion date.

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The opening of the intersection is anticipated by the community and local businesses. Recently, the Lydenburg/Mashishing Business Chamber (LMBC) shared a Facebook post in which it urged residents
to still support those businesses affected by the repairs.

“The work being done at the Voortrekker/Viljoen crossing has a great negative influence on the businesses surrounding the intersection. We want to urge the community to keep on supporting them during this time.

There is a drive-through on both the SPAR centre side as well as the McGee Caltex garage,” the statement read.

The road was closed in January and ever since, motorists and business owners have raised their concerns on how it affects their daily life.

Once the construction of the crossing has been completed, a new project at the intersection of Potgieter and De Clerq streets will commence.

Nyatsumbe also dismissed the allegations that the construction workers had stopped working because they were waiting for equipment.

Rumours did the rounds that repairs had stopped on account of parts which had supposedly been imported from China being quarantined.

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“They do not work on Saturdays and Sundays. On Monday construction continues as usual. We did not order anything from outside the country and we have everything we need at the moment,” he said.

Etli van der Merwe, of the LMBC, was among the people who attended the meeting and also visited the construction site.

“They said the completion date that had been announced included unforeseen circumstances that might occur. This included anything like unfavourable weather.

“LMBC and TCLM are also pushing the contractor to do the work and finish on time. There are various stakeholders in town that are involved in making sure things get done. This is mainly because the community has raised their concern on how the trucks are damaging the current detour roads,” she said.

Van der Merwe added that the Potgieter and De Clerq intersection will be closed for about five months.

“The community needs to know that the second project will only start after the first has been completed. A contractor was appointed, although the date has not been set,” she said.

Construction at the Voortrekker/Viljoen intersection is currently still uninterrupted and under way.