TRAFFIC ADVISORY

SANRAL ADVISES ROAD USERS OF ROAD FAILURE ON R61 NATIONAL ROAD BETWEEN
MAGUSHENI AND MZAMBA

Eastern Cape, 26 February 2025 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) advises road users of a road failure which occurred this morning (Wednesday) on the R61 national road between Magusheni and Mzamba in the Eastern Cape Province.

The failure was caused by flood damage, which is a result of inclement weather conditions in the area.

“SANRAL’s Road Routine Maintenance (RRM) team has swiftly responded to the failure; the road has been barricaded and the RRM team erected a manual STOP-and-Go sign. Our contractor is in the process of organising automated traffic lights for the stop-and-go.”

“The road failure was identified by SANRAL’s Eastern Cape Provincial Manager, Mr Mbulelo Simon Peterson, who was travelling in the area. He confirmed that the failure was caused by runoff water that crossed the road and overwhelmed the earth side drains. This resulted in scouring and the collapse of a section of the road. Fortunately, it has been determined that the issue is not a sinkhole but a significant washaway due to the volume of water,” said Kayakazi Mafuta, SANRAL’s Acting Provincial Head for the Eastern Cape Province.

The RRM team is currently on site to assist with placing new jersey barriers to further secure the damaged section of the road. A geotechnical team, led by SANRAL’s Project Manager Thabo Jaxa, is also on its way to do its assessment and support the RRM team with necessary repairs.

SANRAL urges all motorists to exercise caution when approaching the area and adhere to the stop-and-go system to ensure everyone’s safety. SANRAL apologises for the inconvenience that this may have caused and will continue to give an update on repairs that are being done.