Decision on Wild Coast toll road is imminent

johannesburg - the government is expected to give the go-ahead for the construction of a r3 billion toll road from port edward in kwazulu-natal to east london in the eastern cape within weeks despite grave misgivings by environmental and community groups.

conrad agenbach, the principal environmental officer at the department of environmental affairs and tourism, said yesterday that the department's director-general, crispian olver, would probably issue his record of decision by the end of november or early in december.

agenbach would not comment on whether the toll road project - which includes at least 100km of new road - would be approved, but the consensus view among both its proponents and opponents is that it will.

environmentalists say the proposed new section will destroy pristine wilderness areas and charge that the environmental impact assessment was fundamentally flawed in both conception and execution.

john costello, a spokesperson for the wild coast conservation forum, said the public consultation process lacked transparency, the route selection was illogical and there had been "premature contracting and final decision making".


he said the new section of road traversed a "globally important and botanically very sensitive" biodiversity hotspot.

however, the sa national road agency limited (sanral) said that "less than 5 percent" of the greenfields route went through pristine areas and that the new road would open the area up to tourism and development.

it would cut 80kms to 90kms off the port edward to east london trip, said ron harmse, a sanral project manager.

should the project get the green light the stage will be set for tenders to be issued, but harmse said even once the record of decision was issued there was still a "long process" before the transport minister signed off on it and construction started.