R34 overhaul begins: A new dawn for Free State’s infamous “highway”

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06-02-2024
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New Castillian News
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The R34, commonly referred to as the Memel Road, has long been a sore point for motorists navigating its pothole-ridden stretches. However, with SANRAL taking responsibility for the road, 2024 will see repairs getting underway.

In November 2023, Newcastillian News revealed that the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) had assumed responsibility for three provincial roads in the Free State, among them the R34, with plans for comprehensive upgrades and repairs.

At the time of publication, it was noted that SANRAL would be focusing on the R34 linking the Northwestern Free State provincial border to the KwaZulu-Natal provincial border, covering about 406 km.

With the initial phase of this revitalisation effort kicking off, MEC for Community Safety, Roads and Transport, Maqueen Letsiha-Mathae oversaw the official handover of the R34 (Section 3 to 5) in Odendaalsrus on Thursday, 1 February 2024.

The Department, in collaboration with stakeholders and the Kutloanong community, orchestrated engagements to discuss the transfer of road management to SANRAL, a move aimed at expediting repairs and maintenance in the province.

“The project duration is 11 months, and it is worth R211 Million at the length of 108 km. The subcontracting value is estimated at R62 million for 24 subcontractors. The road maintenance will cover additionally two towns namely Hoopstad and Wesselsbron,” stated the Department.

Furthermore, with repair work on the R34 poised to commence, Newcastillian News reached out to SANRAL for insights into the anticipated start date for roadworks in the Memel area.

While SANRAL was unable to comment at the time of publication, there have been recent efforts to safeguard the roads. This included pothole repairs in November and December 2023, with the Department of Community Safety, Roads and Transport noting that the appointed contractor is expected to begin earthworks on the road during the early part of 2024.

In addition to this, areas of the road between Newcastle and Memel have been marked by officials, highlighting problematic areas in anticipation of the impending road works.