The detour during repairs to the Mzimkhulu River bridge has an S-bend on Sugar Mill Road that has seven extremely dangerous and illegal speed humps.
These monstrous obstructions literally force all vehicles to virtually stop and creep over each one.
Any speed higher than 5km/h is highly likely to cause vehicle damage and possibly personal injury.
In addition, the humps are almost invisible during the day, and there are no warning signs at all.
The detour is bad enough, but these insane humps are causing further frustration and unnecessary queues of traffic.
A properly designed and placed speed hump, according to the DoT and implemented by Durban, should be 3.8 metres wide and 75mm high with diagonal stripes painted on it.
This traffic calming design reduces speed to an acceptable 30km/h without risking vehicle damage or personal injury.
In addition, the hump should be placed before the bend with all the appropriate warning signs.
So, for this particular case, three humps would suffice; one at each end and one in the middle of the S-bend.
In fact, the entire detour should be properly signposted in both directions because drivers unfamiliar with the area can easily take wrong turns.
CHARLES G. DYER (retired civil engineer)
Sunwich Port
HAVE YOUR SAY
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