A bridge in a small South African town is so congested that motorists wait an hour to cross it

The R40 bridge in Hoedspruit faces such high levels of traffic congestion that motorists face delays of up to an hour during peak periods.

Christine du Preez, a ward councillor in the Maruleng Municipality, called on the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) to intervene.

She also asked the Maruleng Municipality and the Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety to address the crisis.

Although there are plans to upgrade an intersection, which will relieve some of the challenges, she said things have to be done now.

• The Maruleng Municipality must deploy traffic officers during peak school and commuting hours.

• The Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety must provide additional traffic officers and coordinate traffic management with the municipality.

• SANRAL must investigate practical interim measures to ease congestion and provide timelines for the proposed R40/R527 intersection upgrades.

“Residents, workers, school communities and local businesses are bearing the consequences of growing traffic congestion along this vital route,” she said.

“Reports from businesses in the area, including La Bamba, Total Garage and Mugg & Bean, highlight the daily frustration and disruption.”

Du Preez pointed out that Hoedspruit is a growing town and an important tourism and business centre.

As such, traffic congestion inconveniences motorists, wastes productive time, disrupts school transport, and increases travel costs.

She said that while SANRAL is responsible for the R40, effective traffic management requires cooperation between national, provincial and local authorities.

“Plans to upgrade the R40/R527 intersection have been under consideration for several years,” she said.

“Residents cannot be expected to endure worsening congestion indefinitely while permanent infrastructure solutions remain unresolved.”

She wants SANRAL and Maruleng Municipality to engage with the Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate to see if an additional access or exit route could help alleviate congestion.

“Any outstanding questions concerning the legal status of existing access arrangements must also be clarified,” she said.