MBOMBELA – The R800 million building is currently no more than an ornamental part of the city’s landscape. It has neither an entrance nor an exit route.
According to Lesego Mashego from the Independant Development Trust (IDT), stakeholders have finally decided on where these routes will be located.
“The High Court will be accessed along Samora Machel Drive from the direction of Mbombela and exited by turning left back onto Samora Machel Drive when leaving the court,” he said. Only the proposed entrance route has been approved.
According to a local engineer who specialises in road construction, this plan is nonsensical. The source requested anonymity for professional reasons.
“Although it does not make that much sense, this was stakeholders’ only option. This is what happens when one begins to build without having established entry and exit routes,” he said.
Lowvelder previously reported on the mishaps that delayed the project’s finalisation. In March the paper reported that the electricity to the property had not yet been connected and surrounding areas did not have adequate storm-water infrastructure.
According to Mashego, the building site now has electricity supply and storm-water infrastructure.
By July stakeholders were still considering entrance and exit routes. Access could have be gained via an intersection at the entrance on Samora Machel Drive, or via the Ehlanzeni FET college, yet the college did not consent hereto. A flyover bridge over Samora Machel was also considered, as was erecting a traffic light.
The chosen entry and access routes will force travellers from Gauteng’s direction to drive past the court into Mbombela, where they can turn around and travel back to court. Those who exit will find their way back towards Mbombela’s CBD via the Old Pretoria Road or a Kaapsehoop Road detour.
According to the engineer, this impractical plan could have been avoided by proper planning and approvals prior to construction.
It is not clear when the Mpumalanga High Court will start functioning.
Once the access routes have been completed, an occupation certificate will be issued.
According to Mashego, construction on these routes will start after the required budgets have been approved by relevant departments, such as the Department of Justice and that of public works. “Once started, construction of the access road will take between three and six months,” he concluded.
