Western Cape completes R90.8 million flood repairs on De Doorns roads and bridges
The newly constructed bridge on Modderdrift Road.
Image: Supplied
The Western Cape Government has completed a major R90.8 million infrastructure project near De Doorns aimed at repairing flood-damaged roads and bridges, Minister of Infrastructure Tertuis Simmers announced.
The project, initiated in response to severe weather events in 2023 and 2024, included the construction of a new bridge on Modderdrift Road, improvements to the structural integrity of two Hex River bridges, and flood-damage repairs to roads, bridges, and drainage systems.
“One such project is the multi-faceted R90.8 million DOI project near De Doorns. This recently completed project was to construct a new bridge on the Modderdrift Road across the Sand River, to improve the long-term structural integrity of two bridges across the Hex River, and to conduct flood damage repairs to roads, bridges, and drainage structures,” said Jandré Bakker, Director of Operational Support at the Department of Infrastructure (DOI).
Bakker explained that the demand for repairs exceeded available resources, which required projects to be spread over multiple financial years.
“Because the repair demand is more than the available resources, repairs are split over multiple financial years to ensure quick responses while minimising the impact on other projects,” he said.
Key features of the project included replacing a bridge and repairing the approach road on Divisional Road 1438 (Modderdrift Road), rebuilding damaged sections of bridges on Minor Road 5721 and OP5719, constructing a new low-water bridge, installing a retaining wall on OP5742, replacing a culvert on DR1379, and repairing damaged sections of DR1379, R1435, and OP5726 along with associated drainage structures.
Erosion protection measures were also installed on several roads and bridges in the area.
Minister Simmers highlighted the project’s impact on job creation and local procurement.
“The project created 9 194 person-days of work and 57 work opportunities. R4.1 million was spent on procurement from targeted enterprises, and three contracts were awarded to local enterprises. We are proud that our road projects are designed in such a way that they mitigate the impacts of climate change while also prioritising job creation.”
The Minister further stressed the importance of public understanding of the scale of flood damage repairs across the province.
“Road users may only see the sections of road they regularly use and may wonder why response times to seemingly routine matters are slower than usual. But our teams are hard at work on flood damage repairs across the province. By showing the flood damage-related works, we do on our vast provincial road network we aim to create an understanding of our responsibilities and how we utilise funds,” Simmers said.
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