A R275 million road upgrade on the R336 between Addo and Kirkwood will be the first of a series of repairs between Sundays River Valley and Gqeberha to fix the busy citrus export route. The repairs are part of a larger scheme to fix a network of roads between the city and provincial citrus hub.
Transport minister Fikile Mbalula was at the R336 to launch the first stage of the works which, when completed, will cover almost 14 km. Construction has already begun and will be completed in 24 months, with the rest of the network repaired over five years.
Mbalula said the department was taking over earmarked municipal and provincial roads to assist cash-strapped municipalities. “Small towns and municipalities suffer from lack of revenue,” he said. “This is a regional road, but through an MOU [memorandum of understanding] and the minister’s proclamation we have taken it over to help the province. The R336 is the main artery that leads into the main town and beyond.”
The reconstruction will also cover the R335 which connects to the R336, linking the vital citrus export route from the Sunday River Municipality.
Source: heraldlive.co.za