The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) is in talks with the George Municipality to upgrade the Thembalethu Interchange at the entrance to the township.

This is after motorists complained that the traffic jams nearing the bridge over the N2 cause delays of up to an hour. Vehicles often come to a standstill from the Thembalethu Police Station all the way to the N2 Bridge.

The busiest time is from 06:30 to 08:00. While traffic officials have been placed at two points to reduce the congestion, this does not seem to help.

According to Kobus van der Walt, SANRAL’s regional manager, the agency has appointed a consultant to handle the design phase related to the upgrade of the interchange.

“Currently, we are in discussions with the municipality of George to provide 50% of the funding relating to this interchange upgrade as it does not only pertain to the upgrade of the bridge but also the main road crossing the interchange and other roads in the area,” said Van der Walt.

He noted that the reason for the congestion can be contributed to the increase in traffic to and from Thembalethu. “Once the negotiations have been concluded, a joint decision will be taken regarding the future of the project.”

It is believed the upgrade of the bridge will amount to R100 million.