Residents want new R40 interchange design

The project has been in planning since 2012/13 and went out on tender in 2019. Two designs were received of which one was chosen and approved by the Maruleng Local Municipality earlier this year. This design was presented to residents, businesses, agriculture and tourism industries of Hoedspruit at a stakeholder meeting held on November 3. “Currently the project status is in the design stages. Once the final design is approved, the construction tender will go out in mid-2023 and the construction will start in April 2024,” Riaan Oerlemans of Sanral said at the meeting.

“The design has been approved but the building plans are yet to be approved,” he said. At the meeting, several concerns were raised such as that the bypass would be detrimental to the economy of Hoedspruit. Meanwhile, a group of residents called the Hoedspruit Concerned Community Group, has started a petition to call on Sanral to change the design. “The design presented was very impressive, however, we as concerned residents of Hoedspruit feel that the design is not feasible for our town and request that we continue the discussion to come up with an alternative that is more suitable to accommodate existing businesses, residents and tourists,” said a spokesperson of the Hoedspruit Concerned Community Group in a letter sent to Sanral.

Also read: Road interchange on R40 approved

They said the design will raise noise levels considerably which would defeat the purpose of living in Hoedspruit for its quiet atmosphere. “It will also impact the property market as no one wants to move to the bushveld with noisy traffic. The building of a mall as well as a major road upgrade simultaneously will have a major impact on traffic, business, and peace in our town. “We suggest that the road be built first before placing more strain on traffic. We cannot see how temporary roads will be sufficient for businesses to continue operating at optimal capacity.

“Temporary roads for both the interchange and the mall will be extremely inconvenient and not logically sufficient. In addition to this, we will have to use these temporary roads for a period of at least two years. We request a plan that indicates the location of these roads for further discussion as well as the possibility to do these developments in stages to relieve pressure on temporary roads,” they said. Residents voiced their opinions on the design after a post on the Hoedspruit Town Facebook page on the petition.

“The current development presented is not for the benefit of the town but for the primary benefit of the trucks coming from the mines. In the designer’s own words – the instructions he was given was to come up with a design for “high mobility and with limited access” and this is exactly what this design delivers. “ said Debbie Thompson. Promise Maila said she supports the development wholeheartedly. “Let’s make sure the petition fails or if possible, let’s [start] a petition for those in support of the development.”