14 June 2022 Media Release: Update 3 – Status of Saasveld Road (George) Construction (MR355)

For Immediate Release
14 June 2022

Garden Route District Municipality, is the agency function contracted to execute work on behalf of the Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works on MR355, Madiba Road.

The following outcomes were agreed upon during a recent planning session to address the construction works at Madiba Road:
1. Due to the high moisture content in the base layer, priming and sealing is not an option at this stage. Madiba Road is in a shaded area surrounded by hundreds of trees, resulting in little direct sun during the autumn and winter months.
2. To protect the base layer from rainwater and to promote the drying of the base layer, a dry layer of 100mm gravel wearing course will be placed onto the base layer.
3. The base layer will be dried out once a sealed gravel layer is placed to drive rainwater away from the road surface.
4. Weekly assessments of the base layer’s moisture content will be done.
5. As soon as the moisture reduces to satisfactory levels, we can compact the wearing course layer.
6. The road will then be opened to traffic with a temporary gravel surface. (NB: no date can be linked to this yet due to various factors like weather and direct sun)
7. Once conditions as per above become favourable the base and seal layers will need to be constructed in half widths, the road will not be closed again when this takes place.

ENDS