Sheffield road is falling apart

Sections of Sheffield Road, the P474 that links Sheffield and Salt Rock, have almost completely fallen apart and Sheffield residents are tearing their hair out trying to get answers from KwaDukuza municipality or the provincial transport department.

In places the road surface has become so narrow due to erosion that it cannot accommodate two lanes of traffic. Potholes dot the road surface, some of which are nearly 20cm deep and in one place – near the All Souls Anglican Church – the potholes have merged and the road cannot be said to be ‘tarred’.

However, there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon.

A special council meeting between the KwaDukuza council and the department of transport is set to take place “soon” to discuss the plans and budget for important road work projects that have been on the council’s agenda for three to four years.

In addition to the Sheffield Beach Road some of the projects to be discussed are the need for traffic lights at the Tiffany’s intersection, the condition of the Salt Rock Main

Road, the R102 entrance to Umhlali and plans for a pedestrian crossing on the R74 opposite Stanger Hospital. The roads are full of potholes and badly damaged.

The meeting was supposed to take place last Tuesday but was postponed due to officials being unprepared.

Ward 22 Councillor Malcolm Hubner accused the transport department of coming up with excuses to avoid paying up.

The transport department officials claimed to have not had the necessary answers as they only received the email with the agenda a day before the meeting.

“These issues have been on the agenda for three or four years and have yet to be addressed. They cannot say they did not have enough notice when these issues are not new.

I suspect that they are playing a game because they don’t have enough funds to fix the roads. Some of the projects are extremely important like the R102 entrance to Umhlali. It is an absolute nightmare and a danger to people,” said Hubner.

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