Durban - The community of the North Coast and Durban can look forward to smoother rides and breathe sighs of relief after the official reopening of the M4 (Boys Town section) on Friday.
The road was officially opened after a successful completion of repairs, which were a joint venture between the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport, eThekwini metro, SANDF and South African National Roads Agency (Sanral).
The road had a major wash-away during the May floods, leading to the closure to traffic in both directions.
It provides a strategic link to the King Shaka Airport and the Dube Trade Port, and the reopening will also make it easier to connect Tongaat, La Mercy, uMhlanga and Durban
MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Sipho Hlomuka lauded the speed at which the repairs on the M4 were done.
“During the floods we came here, and the damage was quite huge. We did not anticipate it to be done within such a short time. We commend the good work by all parties and we want to see a similar pace in other projects.
He said it was commendable that this project was undertaken through the use of internal government capacity and the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).
“We managed to create work opportunities for young people, and this will help them with necessary skills. Job creation is central in our service delivery programmes. With the re-opening of this road, it will now be easy to connect between Durban, La Mercy and Boys Town. Motorists will benefit a lot in this project,” added Hlomuka.
The MEC was speaking in the company of the speaker of eThekwini Metro, Councillor Thabani Nyawose, Sanral representatives and SANDF commanders.
He also reassured the people of KwaZulu-Natal that the department was working with Sanral to attend to all outstanding projects affected by floods, and is expected to hand over contractors to start work in various projects, including repair of blacktop, re-gravelling and fixing bridges, in the coming weeks.
According to the department, the M4 was repaired at a cost of R million, which was mainly for the purchasing of material. The project was done using internal teams with the employment of 145 EPWP participants.
The Tongaat River near Ballito is the one remaining closure on the M4 and is being attended to by Sanral, and plans are under way to put temporary measures in place while the permanent structure is being constructed.
The reopening comes after that of the R102 near JG Crookes Hospital in Scottburgh, after repairs. These repairs form part of strategic projects prioritised after the floods in April and May this year.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE