Traffic congestion eased on John Ross Parkway
This after a section of the John Ross Parkway caved in on Friday afternoon, forming a massive sinkhole
THE City of uMhlathuze has implemented temporary measures to ensure traffic flow on the John Ross is dealt with effectively.
This after a section of the John Ross Parkway caved in on Friday afternoon, forming a massive sinkhole.
The west bound carriageway was marked on Sunday afternoon ahead of the reopening of the Parkway to two-way traffic on Monday morning.
City spokesperson Mdu Ncalane said motorists need to abide by the new temporary traffic regulations.
‘The west bound carriageway has been re-demarcated with new lines on the road to allow it to accommodate two-way traffic.
‘The speed limit on the John Ross will remain at 100km/h; but between the Mondi and the eSikhaleni traffic lights it will be a 40km/h zone.
‘We urge people to adhere to these temporary measures and to be patient with one another, especially the public transport operators.
‘We would also like to appeal to motorists and companies to be patient during the reconstruction period,’ said Ncalane.
Reports of a vehicle having driven into the sinkhole on Saturday evening could not be confirmed by the city.
‘There has been a photo circulating online of a vehicle inside a sinkhole, but we have had no report of such an incident at this stage,’ said Ncalane.
Minimal delays recorded
Motorists today (Monday) said they hadn’t experienced any major delays, but congestion was still expected, especially during the afternoons.
Locals took to social media to express their thoughts.
‘Left home an hour earlier and the traffic wasn’t too bad, I must say I expected much worse, but the points men at the intersections were a great help,’ wrote Zandria Massyn Erasmus.
Adele Ras said driving from Empangeni to Richards Bay was actually better than expected. ‘About 10 minutes longer due to the bottleneck, otherwise no problems,’ she wrote.
The Department of Transport (DoT) released a statement on Monday afternoon stating a team of uMhlathuze traffic and Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) officials are monitoring traffic, mainly during peak hours.
‘Motorists are urged to use other alternative routes, including the N2, to ease the pressure,’ the statement read.
The DoT has estimated that the reconstruction of the road would take approximately 10 weeks.
MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Mxolisi Kaunda, echoed the city’s sentiments.
‘We are pleased to report that the road is coping with traffic volumes.
‘We are, however, appealing for extra caution as only one section (westbound) is open for traffic.
‘We appeal for tolerance and patience as the department is preparing to speed up the repair work of the road.’
ALSO READ: UPDATE: Work begins on John Ross sinkhole
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