R450m Butterworth bypass set to go ahead

THE R450-million bypass which will divert traffic from the N2 to ease congestion in the Butterworth central business district could be a reality by August 2021.

The Department of Public Works has set aside the money for the much-anticipated project, with construction expected to begin in September 2019.

The road will be a welcome development for motorists, who have to sit in traffic for hours when passing through the small town.

This news was broken to the Bhisho legislature by Roads and Public Works MEC Thandiswa Marawu.

Marawu was responding to written questions from DA MPL Veliswa Mvenya who wanted to know about progress and the cost implications for the project.

In her written response, Marawu said plans were at an advanced stage.

She said she had met Mnquma municipal bosses and officials from the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) regarding the construction of the road.

The parastatal will be roped in by the provincial government to make the multimillion-rand project a reality.

When the bypass was first mooted a few years ago, it was proposed that the project would start at the Ndabakazi turnoff about 10km to the west of Butterworth, and link up with the N2 on the Dutywa side.

However, Marawu’s spokesman, Mphumzi Zuzile, said yesterday the road was set to be diverted two or three kilometres before Butterworth coming from the East London direction and just after the Walter Sisulu University’s Ibika campus on the other side.

Zuzile said the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the project had been completed and was waiting for the Department of Environmental Affairs’ approval.

“After Sanral has obtained the necessary approval from the department, we will go to tender so that we will be ready for work to begin by September 2019,” Zuzile said.

In May last year, Sanral approved the construction of the bypass pending EIA assessment.

At the time, former Mnquma mayor Baba Ganjana said: “The approval of the N2 bypass in this area is an achievement.

“During the early and late hours of the day traffic is really congested in this area. The approval means that the traffic will be flowing at all times”.