Mossel Bay set for transformation with nearing completion of major road project

Source: Supplied.

This R520m project, set to span approximately 44 months, marks the largest provincial government investment in road infrastructure within the Garden Route District Municipality.

Designed to enhance mobility, safety, and economic growth in the region, the project underscores the government’s commitment to modernizing critical transport networks.

The project is approximately 57% complete after concerted efforts to make up for time lost due to delays outside the control of the contractor. The project is on track to be completed by the end of the second quarter of the 2026/27 financial year.

“A key challenge of this project is its location in an area with numerous underground services and ageing infrastructure, including asbestos cement sewer and water mains. Delays have occurred because these ageing services must be replaced due to their susceptibility to failure. It would be impractical to complete the road upgrade only to dig it up months later for service replacements,” said Tertuis Simmers, Western Cape Minister of Infrastructure.

“Other delays were caused by excavations revealing the presence of services that had been installed but had not been included in officially approved site plans. This required the professional team to find solutions to problems that could not have been anticipated when the project plan was developed. We had to work around critical infrastructure such as PetroSA, Telkom and Transnet Freight Rail infrastructure.

"We also had to work with public entities to secure their approval and co-operation during construction, including Transnet and the National Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. The works around Garret Street were particularly challenging. Relocating Telkom cables to the outside of the new road prism was another significant issue but was completed on Friday, 7 March 2025," Minister Simmers added.

Garret Street

Garret Street is as an important link to the industrial and commercial area of Mossel Bay, as well as between the residential suburbs of Bayview and Voorbaai. Currently there is restricted access to Bayview residents via Garret Street due to the lack of vehicle stacking distance as a result of the short distance between the Garret Street Railway Bridge construction zone and the Louis Fourie Road intersection.

The volume of traffic could not be accommodated through Garret Street during construction without causing severe delays on Louis Fourie Road. As such, the construction team had no other choice but to consider the ‘needs of the many over the needs of the few’.

Excavations here also revealed the presence of unknown services that were not on official plans and which therefore required the quick development of in situ engineering solutions. The impact of this was that this road had to be closed again after it had been opened during the festive season. The only access that could be allowed was access for owners of local businesses.

The DOI and its professional team remain steadfast in their commitment to have Garret Street to allow access to Bayview by Thursday, 20 March 2025. “We remind road users that keeping this route open during construction is fully in their hands. If we find that road users speed through the construction zone, putting the workers at risk, we will have no choice but to close it again until works are fully completed,” warned Minister Simmers.

Timeline, milestones and job creation

The most recent figures, as of February 2025, show R35m of the target of R85m had been spent on this project. The target of 58,000 person days of work is also well on its way to being reached with the most recent verified figure standing at 31,000 person days of work created.

This means 218 work opportunities have already been achieved of a target of 250. Additionally, the project is also making good progress in terms of its local subcontractor development programmes. Despite its challenges, the project has seen the appointment of 29 subcontract work packages to the total estimated value of more than R8m so far. These specifically designed and dedicated subcontract work packages will increase as the project works progresses.

The key project milestone for this week includes reopening Garret Street for through traffic to Bayview.

Work has already started on the re-alignment of the Langeberg Mall entrance. If everything goes according to plan, the new on- and off-ramps from the N2 to the mall will be completed towards the end of April 2025. This means that the temporary on- and off-ramps adjacent to the Shell Service Station will no longer be required.

Good progress is expected in May 2025 on the new traffic circle towards Aalwyndal for the on- and off-ramps to the N2. The preparatory work on the traffic circle was an innovative way of helping to ensure that the project stays on track. The project team optimised time and resources by advancing work on this section ahead of schedule while delays affected other areas. This proactive approach will allow for faster progress on the remaining sections once operations resume.

Another innovative use of time was to close the intersections at Beach Boulevard East and West and Industrie Road during construction. This allowed the team to complete works on the intersection quicker, enabling works to be completed within weeks, instead of months. We appreciate the co-operation of local businesses during this process.

The initial plan indicates the project should have been 63% complete. However, actual completion stands at 57%. This is a marked improvement over projections at the end of 2024, showing how every role player is actively working towards regaining lost time. This 44-month project is still on track to be completed by the end of the second quarter of the 2026/27 financial year.

Inconvenience to road users

The DOI is aware of the inconvenience the roadworks is causing. Louis Fourie Road was already under significant strain due to heavy traffic volumes (one of the main reasons for the upgrade) and there is a marked increase in traffic on a monthly basis which could be attributed to more people moving to the area. Driving through an active construction site is challenging. However, apart from the loss of some traffic flow capacity at certain intersections, the road has remained a single lane, two-directional roadway for traffic throughout the construction period.

Petition on pedestrian footpath from Sonskynvallei

The Minister added, “I have noted that some residents have started a petition against the construction of the new pedestrian footpath which connects Sonskynvallei to Hartenbos. It is disappointing that some are opposed to this.”

This matter was investigated, and it has been found that a footpath was on the approved plans which had been through a public participation process. The footpath falls within the proclaimed road reserve and is at an advanced construction stage. When it is complete, it will improve road safety for pedestrians and connect the community of Sonskynvallei to economic opportunities in Voorbaai. The foot path enhances pedestrian safety. It is located within the road reserve but as far away from the roadway as possible.

Thanking road users for their patience

The DOI wishes to thank road users for their patience. "We are confident that the long-term benefits will outweigh the short-term inconvenience and that this investment in infrastructure will unlock more economic opportunities," Minister Simmers concluded.