Esperanza Road collapses

Tags

---

02-05-2025
Read : 2 times
Rising Sun Chatsworth
Source

Both scholar transport and daily commuters have expressed their frustration, as they must take this same route again after the Esperanza bridge was washed away in 2022.

Heavy rains are causing significant damage to the roads in Umdoni Municipality.

Roads maintained by the Department of Transport are suffering severely, with potholes and washouts becoming increasingly hazardous. In Esperanza, the P197-3 road has washed away, forcing motorists to travel via the N2 Freeway to reach Umzinto.

Both scholar transport and daily commuters have expressed their frustration, as they must take this same route again after the Esperanza bridge was washed away in 2022.

That year, the Esperanza bridge flooded not far from the same spot, leaving the community with no choice but to use the N2, while some residents risked crossing the bridge using a makeshift step ladder.

Previously, the Department of Transport applied grit to the damaged section of the bridge and road as a temporary fix, but motorists and residents are now calling for a long-term solution. Glen Tryon, a resident of Esperanza, stated that his car is now parked as the road has become inaccessible.

He finds travelling on the N2 too costly and has urged the Department of Transport to quickly intervene, highlighting other deteriorating sections of the road that have been neglected for many years.

In KwaCele, 236 pupils and teachers from Macebo struggled to reach school due to the poor condition of Macebo Road, which leads off the P99 Road.

Some vehicles became stuck, while others spun their tyres in an attempt to get free, and pupils had to wade through the mud. Scholar transport driver, Mr Muzi Gumede remarked that the road is dangerous during the rain and that many vehicles have been stuck due to its poor condition.

He expressed concern that children are missing their education because the road becomes inaccessible on rainy days. He suggested that concreting the road would be a viable solution, as the Department had previously done on this route.

Down by Mphambanyoni, the bridge continues to wash away. An appeal has been made to the Department of Transport to repair the roads.