After almost a year of terror and trauma, the deadly stretch of road on the R30 between Allanridge and Bothaville will be fixed at a cost of in excess of R22 million.
This will include the piece of road at the water pan opposite Nyakallong. Residents of Allanridge fear that one day the road at the pan will collapse and that the school bus travelling to Odendaalsrus and Welkom will crash into the body of water.
More than 35 people have died and at least 60 people have been injured on this notorious route. The two danger spots are a mere 5 km apart.
Jessica Nel, DA councillor for Allanridge, says on 16 November community members from the Lejweleputswa District Municipality were invited to a briefing session by the Free State Provincial Department of Police, Roads and Transport.
“They discussed the operational plans for the next three months to repair and prevent flooding in areas on the R30 road near Nyakallong and north of Allanridge towards Bothaville,” she says.
The session was led by the head of the project, Jacques Seclafe.
Nel says the tender was awarded to Matela Civil and Construction, which has a standing record with the department.
The project is scheduled to be completed by 15 March 2023.
“To ensure the safety of motorists over the holiday season, the contractor must submit a traffic accommodation plan where road workers can warn and regulate the traffic at strategic points seven days a week, 24 hours a day, until construction commences. Possible detours must be evaluated while the R30 road will be closed for construction,” says Nel.
Construction will include lifting and tarring the road, building an open earth drain, installing stormwater pipes, reinstating road markings and signage and installing road studs and guardrails.
“The temporary job creation and economic relief will be a much-needed financial injection to a very impoverished community,” says Nel.
“The DA has continuously been highlighting the state of the road and has pressured the municipality to act. We urge the stakeholders to ensure a speedy completion, as many lives have already been lost,” she says.
The project will be monitored to ensure that the time frame, quality, employment opportunities and financial obligations are in accordance with the tender contract.
