R536 between Sabie and Hazyview officially open
Permanent repairs on the R536 road can be affected in 2024, but temporary maintenance work saw this high traffic section reopen on December 16.
Proving true the old adage that all good things come to those who wait, a contractor was finally appointed to undertake immediate interim repairs on the flood-damaged R536 between Sabie and Hazyview.
However, no contractor has been appointed yet to repair the damaged R40 next to the popular Klipkopjes Dam.
The contractor commenced work on the R536 at the end of November and until permanent repairs can be affected in 2024, temporary maintenance work saw this high traffic section reopen on December 16.
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The spokesperson for the Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport, Bongani Dhlamini, said permanent repairs will start in February next year and are expected to take 12 months.
These would include the rehabilitation of a stretch of 7.7km of the road from Hazyview’s side.
He again reiterated the fact that the department did not receive any disaster funding and are using the allocated budget of the 2023/24 financial year.
This means not all affected routes can be immediately repaired, but will be fixed once funding becomes available.
Dhlamini asked the public for more patience. He also urged motorists to drive with caution on the R536, especially at night as there are construction signs and a barricade in place.
Despite this long-awaited good news, Sanral, responsible for repairs of the damaged R40 next to Klipkopjes Dam, is experiencing a further delay as a result of changes to its procurement policy. According to Sanral’s northern region project manager, Alan Agaienz, tenders were published to find six suitably qualified contractors as per the Construction Industry Development Board.
Under Sanral’s emergency procurement policy, tenders closed on October 24, but due to litigation the board withdrew its preferential procurement policy on October 25 and replaced it with an interim public-private partnership policy (PPP). This is currently being presented at workshops with stakeholders around the country.
As a result, the procurement process which had already been embarked on had to be cancelled and will restart as soon as the PPP is finalised.
However, Agaienz promised that the process would be expedited “as quickly as possible”.
Motorists should be aware that the road is operating on a fully manned, 24/7 stop-and-go basis to ensure travel safety. Caution is urged during the busy holiday period.
