Major concern over road washaways in Oslo Beach, Marburg
Urgent repair work is required on Marine Drive and Oscar Borchers Road.
Washaways on Marine Drive in Oslo Beach and Oscar Borchers Road in Marburg are deteriorating, with no repair plans in sight.
Both washaways were previously reported to the KZN Department of Transport (DoT); however, nothing has been done about them
Oslo Beach resident Anton van Riet said the longer DoT takes to fix Marine Drive, the worse it will become.
“We are entering our rainy season. Why can’t DoT see the need to address this before it becomes a disaster? The South Coast has suffered tremendously because of the Mzimkhulu River bridge repairs and the resurfacing of the R102 from Port Shepstone to Umtentweni. Not attending to this washaway soon could cause further disruptions and further frustration for everyone,” said Anton.
He added that the problem on Marine Drive is due to water gushing down King Haakon Drive after heavy rain.
Another Oslo Beach resident, Dion Naidoo, said the slow pace of fixing washed-out roads is frustrating. “When heavy rains or floods destroy a road’s foundation, the repair process shifts from quick maintenance to a complex engineering project. The department needs to get its act together as South Coast roads are in bad shape. It is potentially dangerous if a truck or a car goes on the shoulder of this road,” said Dion.
Meanwhile, Ward 17 councillor Ajith Rajaram has been calling on the local DoT for the last two years to implement a permanent solution on Oscar Borchers, but to no avail.
“I am a councillor, but I can’t get a team to fix this road as it belongs to DoT. Most washaways occur because existing drainage was overwhelmed. The department must redesign the entire water management system, adding larger culverts, deep swales, and riprap (heavy stones) to slow water down, which adds significant planning time. But here on the South Coast we wait for disasters or lives to be lost,” said Rajaram.
DoT was contacted numerous times for comment, but none was received at the time of going to press.
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