Pretoria - Motorists driving along the notorious R573 Moloto/KwaMhlanga road will no longer have to endure the pothole-ridden road thanks to extensive roadworks that will commence on Wednesday.
Senior Roads Superintendent Jeffrey Mabelane on Tuesday told BuaNews that a contractor had already been appointed by the Gauteng Department of Public Transport, Roads and Works..
"I can confirm that a contractor will be on the site (Moloto Road) paving the potholes," he said.
Moloto Road, north east of Pretoria, has for a long time had huge potholes that have led to accidents and serious damages to vehicles.
BuaNews conducted an informal inspection of roads north east of Tshwane and found massive potholes on the Magaliesburg Bridge along Baviaanspoort Road. Deep ditches were also found along Moloto Road which made it difficult for motorists to drive at any speed higher than 80km/h.
Manager of the Bushman's Rock Country Lodge, Margariete Opperman, said the tourism industry was already feeling the pinch as a result of the potholes on the busy Moloto Road.
"We used to receive more tourists from all over the country who regularly visit Roodeplaan Dam, but that has changed because they often complain about this terrible road."
Putco's spokesperson, Raphiri Matsaneng said they were also worried about the pothole-ridden road which damaged their buses.
"We always repair our buses on a regular basis and this is seriously affecting our productivity. These potholes pose a serious danger to commuters as drivers swerve to avoid hitting the ditches," he said.
Johannesburg Roads Agency's (JRA) Conel Mackay said heavy rains and overloaded vehicles were the two major contributors to potholes.
Motorists in the City of Tshwane and City of Johannesburg can report potholes on (012) 358-0614 and (011) 375-5555 respectively.
