Despite various roads being severely damaged by last week’s floods in KwaZulu-Natal, road freight will continue, although on a limited basis.

Road Freight Association CEO Gavin Kelly says 50% of road freight operations between Durban and Johannesburg have resumed.

“We are nowhere near back to normal,” he says.

WATCH: Izak du Plessis talks to Road Freight Association CEO Gavin Kelly about the transportation headache caused by the recent floods.

According to the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport, the N2 to Durban has collapsed after the Ultra City and the N2 from Durban is in the process of collapsing after the Ultra City.

Various other roads have also been affected by the heavy rains, which will affect road freight in the coming weeks, says Kelly.

“However, the port is still there, that hasn’t been damaged. There was just a lot of debris that had to be cleaned up. The biggest problems are the roads leading into the port and some of the infrastructure has been damaged.”

“A backlog of about 9 000 containers has accumulated. Ships were able to reach the quays to offload, but the trucks could not reach the loading area at the harbour,” says Kelly.

Interim plans have been made to continue operations, especially the transportation of fuel and fresh produce, which was becoming a headache, he says, explaining that they managed to get fuel deliveries through Bluff Road.

Medicine is also on the priority list, he says.

“There has been tremendous damage. What the public has seen in terms of roads around the port is not the total extent of the damage, and that is what is really taking the toll on deliveries and logistics,” says Kelly.

However, he is positive that with the limited opening of the Bayhead Road to container traffic evacuations and deliveries ramping up, and as staff and drivers return from their Easter breaks, volumes should soon increase.