Going nowhere slowly – Stapleton Road construction drags

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06-02-2026
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Highway Mail
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Nearly a year of delays on Stapleton Road in Pinetown has left residents and schools fearing for safety as unfinished works lead to accidents.

STAPLETON Road in Pinetown has been under construction for almost a year, with no clear completion date in sight.

Despite repeated appeals and pleas throughout the year, Carebears Wonderland manager Kristin Smith said they are yet to see any meaningful progress or resolution.

She said the roadwork delays are a matter of importance and urgency which concerns the safety of their school children, parents, and residents of Bradford Place.

The pre-school caters for babies from three months old to Grade R learners.

According to Smith, at the end of last year, road markings were painted incorrectly.

“The road has been an ongoing hazard since February 10. The lanes are extremely misleading, to the extent that vehicles are driving into oncoming traffic.

The road which had two lanes going up and two lanes going down has been painted incorrectly, posing danger to motorists.

“During the marking process, we specifically requested that a junction box be painted outside the entrance/exit of Bradford Place off Stapleton Road to improve safety and assist parents crossing the road with children. Unfortunately, this request was ignored, despite a petition submitted earlier in the year and escalated to the media,” said Smith.

Last week, the school reported that a serious accident occurred involving a parent who was crossing the road when a vehicle driving in the oncoming lane collided with her car.

“This incident is completely unacceptable and was entirely preventable had the lanes been painted correctly and the junction box implemented as requested.”

Prior to the roadworks, Smith highlighted that Stapleton Road had two lanes heading down towards the M13 and two lanes heading up from the block factory bridge.

“Currently, there are no clearly defined lanes. The road surface is severely uneven due to incomplete tarring, with exposed drains and raised manhole covers protruding above road level.

“Vehicles are swerving to avoid them, and numerous motorists have suffered burst tyres as a result,” said a concerned Smith, adding that the road is a major hazard and unacceptable for daily use.

Also read: City to discipline workers arrested for driving under the influence

School principal Nila Ryan said the situation on Stapleton Road is becoming a life and death situation.

She said the road is a primary route for many families, schoolchildren, and residents, servicing multiple schools from pre-school through to high school as well as commuters and heavy vehicles.

Ryan pleaded with the Roads Department to visit the site as a matter of priority and take immediate action to rectify these issues before a more serious injury or fatality occurs.

Ward 18 councillor Melanie Brauteseth said the project has been delayed once again due to non-payment by the Department of Transport (DOT).

“I can confirm that some outstanding payments have now been concluded, and we are awaiting final payments before work can resume.

“I have established that approximately one month of work remains to complete the project. The entire road will be brought up to final surfacing level, and proper road markings will be completed,” explained Brauteseth.

In the meantime, to prevent further accidents at the intersection near the Engen garage, Brauteseth said the project team will be detouring one lane.

The Roads Department did not respond to Highway Mail’s questions by the time of publishing.