Residents and businesses continues to express frustration over the D1175 road, which they say has not been maintained for over 15 years.

The road, which connects Alkmaar to the N4, has deteriorated to the point where it is damaging vehicles and crippling local businesses.

They say that despite numerous attempts to contact the provincial Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport (DPWRT) through written requests, phone calls and in-person visits, no action has been taken.

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In a surprising turn, the DPWRT has stated that it will not regravel the road. According to DPWRT spokesperson Bongani Dhlamini, the department is aware that the D1175 has not been graded in 15 years.

He claims that, while they have the capacity to maintain other gravel roads, their efforts on the D1175 have been blocked by local farmers. “The farmers erected a fence towards the road reserve servitude, which makes it impossible for a grader to access the road,” Dhlamini explained.

He also highlighted a lack of co-operation from farmers in the area. When the department attempts to re-gravel the road, the farmers want to sell the gravel (G5 material) to the government rather than partnering with them. “They don’t want to assist in providing the borrow pit, water point and parking for machinery,” he said.

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Dhlamini added that the department is ready to maintain the road, but they need the farmers’ co-operation. He concluded by saying the DPWRT is open to “any talks that will benefit both parties,” suggesting the road’s future hinges on a new agreement between the government and the community.