The N2 Wild Coast toll highway proposed by the Department of Environmental Affairs was welcomed by the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA).
"We note that the process is subject to approval... However, we would like to express our support for the speedy implementation of the proposed project," said chief executive officer Sybert Liebenberg in a statement.
"We view it as being of major catalytic importance for the development of the whole of the Wild Coast," he said.
The proposed initiative involves the construction of a 560km toll road between the Gonubie interchange near East London in the Eastern Cape and the Isipingo interchange, near Durban, in KwaZulu-Natal.
The agency believes that the Wild Coast, which is in the unspoilt parts of the country and contains significant bio-diversity and tourism potential, would be well served by a road system that will increase access to it.
This would in turn create an enabling environment for unlocking the development potential of the area, Liebenberg said.
He said a Biodiversity Offset Agreement had also been proposed to mitigate any potential residual negative impacts of the project on natural habitats and bio-diversity conservation in the area.
"As the designated agency tasked with biodiversity, conservation and tourism in the Eastern Cape we applaud this proposal, as it supports both the mandate and the policy imperatives of the ECPTA," Liebenberg said. - Sapa