Mpumalanga required about R38 billion to rehabilitate and maintain its damaged provincial roads, Parliament said on Wednesday.
The provincial Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport disclosed the estimated backlog during an oversight visit by Mpumalanga’s delegation to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).
The delegation visited the badly damaged R36 in the Thaba Chweu Local Municipality as part of the NCOP’s Provincial Week programme.
Several provincial roads, including the R36, had been transferred to the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) because the province lacked the funding to repair them, the department said.
The roads were transferred without an accompanying budget, leaving Sanral to raise the funding required for their reconstruction.
The delegation was assured that the transferred roads would not be tolled after being upgraded.
Construction work on the R36 could begin in 2028, Sanral told the delegation. However, delegates expressed concern about the proposed timeline because of the road’s hazardous condition.
Mining companies had invested R70 million in interim work to improve safety on the route while preparations for its reconstruction continued, Parliament said.
Heavy vehicles, including coal-haulage trucks, were responsible for much of the damage to roads in the province, according to the statement.
The delegation was told that pressure on the road network could be reduced by transferring more heavy freight from road to rail.
Mpumalanga provincial whip in the NCOP, Syvia Nxumalo, welcomed Sanral’s intervention but called for the R36 project to be accelerated.
“We are concerned that 2028 is a bit far for the reconstruction of the R36,” she said. “We would like Sanral to expedite the process because the road has deteriorated severely and poses a serious hazard to motorists and tourists who use it daily.”
