The repairs to Loco Street, which connects Vintonia and Riverside Industrial Park, were put on hold after the City of Mbombela (CoM) had promised to finish the remainder of the job, but has to date not done so.

According to We Care 4 Nelspruit’s founder, Pr TJ Maré, his organisation had undertaken most of the repairs. “We’ve done all the repairs, and the road is currently usable. We are, however, waiting for the municipality to finish it off, which includes sealing the road and replacing the asphalt. We are not going to give them a timeframe, but if they take long, the private sector will once again take over and finish the remaining job,” Maré said.

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The community had initially complained about the road’s condition, and some local businesses decided to revamp it themselves. A collaboration was formed between Coastal Hire Mbombela, Marlin Pub & Grill, Lafarge Cement and We Care 4 Nelspruit.

Maré said they had removed a 50m-long section of tar that was too badly damaged and rebuilt it from scratch. They also worked on the stormwater drainage that caused damage to the road and installed the necessary pipes to control the water. He called on provincial and local governments to maintain the road, since it is situated in a high-impact economic area and features a historic bridge.

In a joint statement, Coastal Hire Mbombela, Marlin Pub & Grill and Lafarge Cement said they committed to revamping the road because it carries traffic in the area in which they all operate.

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The CoM’s spokesperson, Joseph Ngala, said any stakeholder who wants to do work on the council road infrastructure must first consult with the municipality’s technical services department before any work commences.

”Loco Street is not council property and it belongs to Transnet Freight and Rail, therefore it is not a municipal asset, but as the municipality we maintain the road to serve as a bypass in case of closure to the R40.
“Regarding the recent repairs, the municipality met with Maré who has been busy with repairs, which was commendable, but without technical know-how or technical knowledge to repair the road infrastructure the repairs were sub-standard.

“CoM patched the same road in March 2023 and it was drivable, but due to extreme rains the road developed potholes during in the same year’s rainy season. Loco Street and a substantial number of City of Mbombela roads have surpassed their intended lifespan, leading to increased vulnerabilities and a high frequency of structural failure. The aging infrastructure exacerbates maintenance requirements and strains the limited resources available.

He also said the municipality will attend to the road in due course.