Dear Editor

A good road infrastructure is the lifeblood of this province. It is imperative that our roads are properly monitored and maintained.

The recently upgraded Nanaga road on the R72 between Port Elizabeth and Port Alfred is a point in case. Days before the road was due to open in December 2011, potholes already appeared on the 18 km stretch of rebuilt road.

It costs R14 million to build one kilometres of new road.

This road, which was rebuilt after a vigorous campaign led by myself, cost over R200 million. While we are grateful to the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) for rebuilding the road, it remains a death trap that will stay on the books as another job for the “patch up-team”.

What is needed is a soil laboratory for the province to ensure quality control when it comes to the building of roads and issues such as compaction and layering.

Along with this we want to see an aggressive commitment from the Eastern Cape government to ensure that road maintenance goes to contractors from this province. Furthermore, those contractors who are guilty of poor workmanship should be blacklisted by the Department of Roads and Public Works.

Yours sincerely

Pine Pienaar, DA Shadow MEC for Roads and Public Works

Bhisho