South Coast bridge crisis puts businesses under growing strain

Businesses on KwaZulu-Natal’s South Coast are pressing authorities for urgent action over the prolonged disruption at the Mzimkhulu River bridge, warning that the infrastructure problem is increasingly threatening jobs and commercial activity.

The R102 bridge near Port Shepstone has been subject to construction delays and disputes over payments, with the South Coast Herald reporting continued uncertainty around the rehabilitation programme.

Small-business owner Denize Meyer has written to the mayor, provincial and national transport authorities, SANRAL and other stakeholders, describing the situation as an economic crisis rather than a temporary inconvenience.

She said businesses were facing mounting fuel, toll, vehicle-maintenance and travel costs because of the disruption. The alternative Batstone’s Drift route was also in poor condition, adding to travelling times and vehicle wear.

Meyer said regular users could spend hundreds of rand a month on tolls alone, with a return trip to Port Shepstone costing about R44.

She warned that businesses were losing customers, deliveries were becoming more expensive and employees were losing working hours, with some enterprises reportedly closing.

The approximately R190-million rehabilitation project was previously suspended after the contractor was reportedly owed more than R31.5m. The provincial government has linked broader payment delays to problems with its payment system and cash-flow constraints, according to The Citizen.

The bridge reopened on a stop/go, single-lane basis in March following intervention by local business owners and other stakeholders, but the wider project remains unresolved. Meyer is calling for a binding completion date, clarity on outstanding work and contractor payments, contingency arrangements if the October 4 target is missed, toll relief and repairs to the alternative route.

She also wants greater engagement with affected businesses and transparency around the rehabilitation programme and appointment of a replacement contractor. The Citizen reports that authorities have previously distinguished between reopening the bridge for safe use and completing all rehabilitation work.