The R545 is in a critical state due to budget constraints, heavy and uncontrolled freight traffic, insufficient drainage and road ageing.

This is according to the Mpumalanga Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport spokesperson, Bongani Dhlamini, who said the department is exploring ways to deal with the challenges.

About 9km outside Bethal, on the R545 heading towards Kriel, detour and caution signs were installed when maintenance was done in September. However, inclement weather, heavy rain, a change in scope and the builders’ break caused delays, and work was halted.

Dhlamini said work is anticipated to resume from January 12.

Local WhatsApp and Facebook groups have cautioned motorists using the R545, as vehicles and trucks get stuck on the side of the road where motorists are now routed to drive.

Upon visiting the site, the Ridge Times came across the caution boards and a huge hole that was once a road, nearly the size of an Olympic swimming pool, and at a depth of around a metre, if not more.

The deteriorating road has been in a bad state for some years, according to motorists who travel to and from Bethal and Kriel, and say this is its worst condition ever, even when it was gravel.

Marike Geel, a previous Bethal resident who now stays in Kriel, has children who attend school in Bethal. They use the school bus, but when they have extracurricular activities, Geel commutes between these towns.
“The road is a nightmare,” said Geel.

Geel has used the R545 for about three years and said that, before its current bad state, there were already huge potholes and the road was deteriorating.

“It is not like the problem became bigger in a day or months; it has been years,” said Geel.

With the portion of the road closed, motorists must detour to the sides of the road. The sand becomes deep mud pools when it rains, and many vehicles and trucks have become stuck.

“It’s inconvenient. I would rather travel to Secunda and go through the toll to get to Bethal,” said Geel.

“The Thubelihle/Middleburg (R544) road is riddled with potholes; you cannot drive a normal vehicle on that road. It is dangerous and also much further.”

Geel said every time she goes to Bethal is a deciding factor in which road to use. Pothole road, toll gate road, or getting stuck road?

“There are many children from Kriel who go to school in Bethal. At this stage, we don’t know how they will get to Bethal with the road like this,” said Geel.

She said it is a concern for parents, even though the school’s priority is the safety of learners.

Just off the R545 towards Kriel is Enkundleni Combined School. Principal Chrispen Mlilo said the road disturbs the educational process.

“We have a bus that travels from Bethal to school daily. Because of the condition of the road, the bus constantly breaks down. Our teachers are demoralised because they can not use their cars to come to work on time. There are frequent breakdowns of teachers’ vehicles,” said Mlilo.

He said the road is a mess and negatively affects teaching.

“We have pleaded from one door to another, but no help is coming our way,” said Mlilo.

He said there is no other access road to the school, and even if there was, using another alternative route is not an option due to costs.

“I don’t know why the government is not taking this route seriously. It directly affects the performance of learners at school and the teachers,” said Mlilo.

Besides the safety aspect, detours are costing motorists additional fuel, toll fees and time.

Kriel resident Elize Grey said she opts for the N17 over the R545.

“I travel to Bethal at least once a week and use the N17. It is costing quite a bit on the detour and toll fees,” said Grey.

According to motorist Emri Snyman, the N17 detour from Kriel to Secunda, then to Bethal, is an additional 35km.

When the Ridge Times asked Dhlamini if prior roadworks and maintenance could have prevented the R545 from ending up in this poor state, Dhlamini said, “The R545 did not reach a bad state because of a single decision, but because of systemic under-maintenance, budgetary constraints, traffic overloading and implementation delays. Its condition reflects broader structural challenges in provincial road management rather than isolated negligence.”

Dlamini said that the department is attending to pothole patching as part of routine maintenance, not only on the said road but also in various areas within the district.