The thud of tyres hitting a pothole is cringeworthy for motorists and onlookers. Motorists have to dodge big, deep potholes when travelling along the R580/R77, also known as the P185 from Evander to Secunda.

Potholes get bigger and deeper, with new ones appearing daily, even before the December festive season began. The downpour of heavy rain has not helped either.

Not only do the potholes get bigger, but when the water covers the holes, motorists are unaware of them, unless they travel the route daily.

When taking photos of the potholes along the route, the Ridge Times reporter stood back to observe the motorists. At the Ext 22 traffic lights, numerous potholes cover the road, and standing outside, one can hear vehicle tyres connecting with one pothole after another.

This raises concerns about the damage incurred to the vehicle’s tyres, rims, alignment and shocks, all at the motorist’s expense.

The road past SkyHill is also a growing concern. Some years ago, the stretch of road between the SkyHill turnoff and the entrance to Secunda was resurfaced due to severe potholes. However, along the rest of the route, big, deep potholes kept appearing.

“Patching the potholes is a short-term solution. The whole road needs to be resurfaced,” said a concerned motorist.

The P185 falls under the Mpumalanga Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport. The Ridge Times reached out to the departmental spokesperson, Bongani Dhlamini, who did not respond at the time of going to print.

Before going to print The Ridge Times received the news from one of our readers, that the potholes were being patched at the Ext 22 traffic lights.

The reader told the Ridge Times about the workmanship; the contractor did not clean the holes and just filled and compacted them.

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