Some R72 traction at last

by | Jul 28, 2020 | Blog, Water, Infrastructure and Maintenance | 18 comments

Since last year, KOSRA has written several letters to SANRAL (The South African Roads Agency Limited), expressing concern at the dangerous situation and the number of accidents and fatalities on the R72 in the Kenton/Boesmans/Marselle area. In the last 5 years, there have been 150 accidents between West of Alexandria and East of Port Alfred, including 35 fatalities. Of these, 12 have occurred at the entrance to Kenton.

Despite the lockdown, we have consistently requested that the speed limit be reduced from 80km/h to 60km/h and that a traffic circle be built at the Kenton entrance. At last, a Road Traffic Engineer was commissioned by SANRAL to conduct a new Traffic Impact Assessment. We met with him when he visited Kenton recently, and were delighted to learn that he agreed with our proposal. He undertook to submit a recommendation to SANRAL that the speed limit be reduced and a traffic circle be installed as a matter of high priority.

We wait to see whether SANRAL accepts the recommendation, and if so, when it will be implemented. It also remains to be seen whether our request for speed cameras is granted.

KOSRA working for you.

18 Comments

  1. I have to date complained on many occasions to the Traffic Department about the crossroads been a significant danger which in my opinion would warrant a circle roundabout- hence I am delighted that hopefully something will at last be done and eradicate a danger zone to all passing traffic -Well done Kosra

  2. Well done KOSRA team !!
    Thanks for your efforts here

  3. Well done, all those involved!

  4. Good news. Thank you.

  5. Very good news

  6. Well done to the KOSRA committee members who have been proactive and “persistent” in this quest for safer traffic on the R72.
    Let us hope that SANRAL does accept the recommendation and that we soon have a safer passage for our residents, and for the passing traffic.

  7. FANTASTIC–AT LAST–TWO MORE ACCIDENTS THIS PAST WEEK-END WEST OF THE KARIEGA BRIDGE DUE EXCESSIVE SPEEDING –WELL DONE KOSRA –KEEP UP THE PRESSURE

    • A small but significant win for the good guys. Congratulations.
      Wont bring back those tragically killed in the past but it should save lives going forward.
      Hopefully they install flashing red lights at intervals before reaching the circle. Coming from P.A. the circle is obscured by the steep rise in the road.

  8. Great news!!! Well done on your perseverance KOSRA!!

  9. Very well done indeed! What we’ve all been wanting for years! Let’s hope your efforts and perseverance bear fruit!

  10. Well done KOSRA. Enforcement of the existing 80k/h speed limit across the bridges would help a lot. Camera speed traps and fines in the Western Cape are effective – a good source of income for the Municipality.

  11. So good to hear a traffic circle with speed control is being advocated. Well done KOSRA

  12. Excellent work KOSRA. Maybe some rumble strips as well?

    • Please no rumble strips anywhere near the bridges already excessive noise would be exacerbated beyond acceptable levels-unacceptable traffic noise from car carriers ,Pineapple trucks etc .currently subject to a formal complaint-proposed 60km speed restrictions,traffic circle to slow traffic down will suffice to enhance security

  13. Just hope they don’t find a loophole to disapprove! I sincerely hope they will make an early decision and that the circle will be completed before this Season.

  14. Well done. I have correspondence to SANRAL about the R72 Alex to PA going back to 2013. But the Kenton cross road is a much older complaint so I do hope that this will now be attended to.

  15. Thank you KOSRA for some progress on this matter. The Ndlambe Roads forum wrote numerous letters about these accidents etc and asked to meet with SANRAL on the issue. Only response we got was that the intersections will be attended to when we upgrade this section of the R72. I wonder if this is now on hold

  16. Please note an additional accident, which I witnessed the clearing of, on 2020/07/23 between Kariega Bridge and Grant’s Valley entrance.

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