The storm damage to roads in Citrusdal and its impact to agriculture, which last year cost between R750m and R1billion.
It said the all-important MR310 on the N7-side of Citrusdal which had washed away would be built stronger, by surfacing road shoulders as protection for over topping, and introducing rockfall embankment support to the compacted layer works.
Last week, the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA) also wrote to the Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Dr Ivan Meyer, asking for support for the farming communities in Citrusdal
The office of the Provincial Minister of Infrastructure, Tertuis Simmers, said Citrusdal had experienced significant challenges to road access following multiple severe weather events which flooded routes to the town.
A section of the link to the N7 completely washed away and of the four major access routes to Citrusdal, only two have since been reopened.
The MR310 (R303) is the road that directly links Citrusdal to the N7.
Advocate Chantal Smith, Head of the Department of Infrastructure, said during 2023 the section between km marker 112.84 and km marker 112.93 washed away but was successfully rebuilt.
“This section withstood the flooding but the section between km marker 112.74 and km marker 112.84 washed away and must now be rebuilt,” she said.
“The full section that suffered some form of damage is between km marker 12.6 and km marker 13.36.”
Smith added that to rebuild this section, water levels must drop sufficiently in order for the berms, where the river broke its banks, to be repaired.
“Water levels have dropped to such an extent that these berms have been put back in place.
“Depending on the weather and current water levels, works could start as soon as (today).”
She said half-width traffic would be allowed with stop-and-go traffic controls once the base layers were completed.
“The cost of these repairs is not yet known.”