VIDEO: Joy as M4 Ruth First Highway reopens to traffic
The highway was officially reopened on Friday after being closed for the last eight months.
THE M4 Ruth First Highway officially reopened on Friday morning after being closed for eight months.
The highway had been out of commission since last year when a partial road collapse caused the closure of the route between uMhlanga and Sibaya.
Durban Mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda; Natal Premier, Sihle Zikalala and MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Bheki Ntuli officially re-opened the highway to traffic on Friday morning.
“In total we ended up spending close to R45 million in the reconstruction of the road and dealing with the issues of preventing soil erosion. We don’t want to see what happened recurring,” said Zikalala.
Ntuli added that the M4 highway plays a vital role in economic growth and tourism.
“The opening of this major economic corridor linking Durban, uMhlanga, King Shaka International Airport and Ballito, will improve economic activities and it also coincides with the activities of Alert Level 3, which includes the opening of domestic flights and other key economic activities,” added Ntuli.
Read also:Ward councillor welcomes the reopening of M4 Ruth First Highway
Peter Rose, chairman of the Umhlanga Tourism, said residents in the area welcomed the reopening.
“Prior to the lockdown we noticed a drastic decline in the number of day-time tourists and those staying at B&Bs and hotels in the uMhlanga Village area. In fact, there had been a marked decline and it goes to show how important the M4 is from a tourism perspective.
“The consensus was that visitors leaving the airport were more inclined to go to Ballito or eMdloti rather than take the long detour on the N2 and into uMhlanga. We welcome the reopening of the M4 and we feel as the country resumes economic activities this will be a boost to the area,” Rose said.
uMhlanga resident, Meena Kisten said it was a special moment to see the highway open.
“It’s been a challenging time with the M4 being closed and people being rerouted to the N2. We are extremely excited this morning to be able to use this road,” she said.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting
Dear reader,
As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
You can also sign up for news alerts on Telegram. Send us a Telegram message (not an SMS) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5532. 
Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple.
