Wild Coast road to create 4 000 jobs
March 14, 2008

Johannesburg – The Wild Coast Meander, a local volume road between Kei Mouth and Port St Johns now in the planning, would be built over six years at an estimated cost of R1.6-billion, Roads and Transport MEC Thobile Mhlahlo said yesterday.

Presenting his policy speech, Mhlahlo said the project was designed to unlock the tourist potential of the Eastern Cape coastline and would create significant employment in the area and create opportunities for entrepreneurs.

The road, which would be built using labour intensive and alternative surfacing methods, would create an estimated 4 000 job opportunities, he said.

This was in addition to the avenues that would be opened for sustainable development on the Wild Coast and N2 transport corridor.

With regard to the R72 coastal road between Port Elizabeth and East London, Mhlahlo said it was “imperative” that it be upgraded at least to a Class 1 road in order to cope with the current traffic volumes.

His department had commissioned a civil engineering investigation to “establish a conceptual framework” within which a decision could be taken about the upgrading of the R72.