This is how Herald reader, Nico Pretorius, who works in the tourism industry, described the embarrassing state of the Eastgate airport (Argyle Road/Timbavati Road) in a letter to the Herald. “Having to travel this road daily, I have seen numerous close calls with vehicles swerving to dodge potholes, some of which are so big that they literally take up an entire lane,” Pretorius writes.
“One needs to keep in mind that most of the vehicles that travel on these roads are tourists, should there be an accident or even death occurring due to the condition of a road which should have been maintained long before reaching this state which it is currently in. This would be the last thing South African tourism needs right now after struggling to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. Not too long ago Hoedspruit was in contention for Town of the Year with roads and infrastructure being on par and obviously the influx of tourists in our area.
“I find this to be totally unacceptable and can’t believe that this road which has so many animals on it already, one also needs to swerve out to miss the potholes. It is of utmost importance that this matter receives the attention required in order to restore Hoedspruit to its full potential and welcome back all its International tourists,” Pretorius concluded. In another attempt to bring the road’s state under the attention of the authorities, the DA has written to the MEC for Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure, Nkakareng Rakgaole, to urgently address the state of the R530, R527, D21 and the Eastgate Airport roads in the Hoedspruit area.
Also read: ‘R530 road is a serious risk to motorists’
Risham Maharaj, DA Limpopo spokesperson for Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure, said that besides residents and workers of the surrounding areas using the roads for their daily commute, they are also key to the major economic activities of the town. “They are used by tourists visiting the game reserves, farmers transporting produce, and large trucks moving goods to and from the mines. The R530 and R527 roads have been poorly maintained, are riddled with large potholes that have the potential to cause accidents and in some instances have led to the loss of life.
“The Eastgate Airport road has also gone unmaintained despite its great economic significance in the area, as it leads from the airport to many exclusive game lodges and nature reserves that attract tourists, create employment as well as provide economic activity for businesses in Hoedspruit.” He said that in 2019, there were already claims worth over R118 million against the Limpopo Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure as well as its entity, Road Agency Limpopo. These were largely for damage caused by potholes and for claims against the department’s register.
“Rakgaole must ensure these roads are included in “Operation Thiba Mekoti Ditseleng” aimed at fast-tracking the patching of potholes,” he said. Meanwhile, the Limpopo Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure’s entity, Roads Agency Limpopo (RAL) announced last week during a meeting with Maruleng Local Municipality that the agency will start with full rehabilitation of D1909 Eastgate Airport which connects the R40 road.
RAL also announced that designs are completed for the rehabilitation of the D1656 Mica-R36 road and construction is expected to commence this month. “We will prioritise patching potholes on the R527 The Oaks-Hoedspruit road.” During the meeting, Rakgoale announced that RAL is also in the process of appointing a contractor to implement the rehabilitation of road D21.
