R9.2 Billion Road Overhaul for KZN: Upgrades, Pothole Fixes, and New Projects Ahead

KwaZulu-Natal’s road infrastructure, grappling with potholes, flood damage, and maintenance backlogs, faces a critical juncture. On 25 April 2025, MEC for the Department of Transport, Siboniso Duma, delivered a budget policy speech outlining a response to these challenges.

With a focus on balancing new projects and repairs, the Department stated that it aims to restore and enhance the province’s transport network, offering hope for improved connectivity and economic growth.

Taking this into consideration, MEC Duma detailed the Department’s oversight of 34,404.8 km of provincial roads, including 8,705.5 km paved and 25,699.2 km unpaved. “This requires us to continue striking a delicate balance between constructing new projects and maintaining existing infrastructure, especially with the continuous flooding that has increased our repair and rehabilitation costs, thus diverting funds from planned projects. A total of R9,2 billion will be spent on transport infrastructure.”

To address this, Duma allocated over R3.8 billion for new infrastructure projects and more than R4.3 billion for road network maintenance. Additionally, R102 million will fund infrastructure planning and design, with R927 million supporting transport infrastructure programs.

For the 2025/26 procurement cycle, Duma emphasised the use of established panels to procure contractor and consultant services, streamlining processes to ensure efficient and effective delivery of road infrastructure.

The paved network, Duma noted, requires significant investment in maintenance and rehabilitation. “The paved network needs heavy investment in maintenance and rehabilitation. The Department is currently on a drive to ensure that the relevant resources are acquired to address the road infrastructure backlog on the provincial road network.”

To guide these efforts, Duma highlighted the development of a Road Asset Management Policy, aligned with sector standards, to optimise resource use for maintenance and rehabilitation, improving the condition and service levels of the provincial road network.

“In addition, to achieve high levels of economic growth, we are undertaking massive investments in new infrastructure while upgrading and maintaining existing infrastructure. We are also developing innovative ways of funding infrastructure and want to tap into the Presidential Infrastructure Fund to transform our infrastructure through blended financing solutions,” said MEC Duma.

A pressing concern is the widespread pothole problem across KZN’s roads. According to the department, the entity has allocated R216,584,440.26 to the Black Top Patching program this financial year.

“In the 2023/24 financial year the Department procured 55 trucks at a cost of R103 million to tackle the backlog of 3.12 million m² of potholes that need to be attended to. We intend to procure a further 25 trucks to reinforce our efforts to eradicate potholes on our network. The Department has also appointed more than 100 road worker aids and foremen to be on the frontlines in our fight against potholes,” said Duma.

Furthermore, the Department will also engage service providers to bolster these efforts. “The Department had previously tasked the regions with this task and now it is being elevated to head office level and will be funded and executed through the rehabilitation and reseal program’s panel of pothole patching service providers. We are in the process of appointing a specialist automated road rehabilitation and pothole patching service provider to deliver a speedy means of pothole patching at strategic areas of our Province. This exercise will contribute greatly towards the capitation and development of small contractors and employment of targeted labour,” said the MEC.

Infrastructural projects requiring repair per region:

Empangeni Region

• Routes such as D2042 in KwaKhoza, L797 in KwaNandi, and P708 in Nongamlana have suffered complete washaways, requiring reconstruction costing R15 million to R20 million per project, with total repair costs exceeding R203 million.
• Pipe and drainage failures on roads like L784 in Sdumuka and D255 in Siyavuna, alongside deteriorating gravel roads such as L1786 in Ohlange and P253 in KwaSanguye, necessitate re-gravelling and blading, with costs ranging from R1 million to R3.5 million per project.
• Structural failures, including collapsed bridge abutments on roads like D1544 in Ezinyathi, P525 in Ezingwenya, and D2474 in Ncemaneni, require new bridge constructions and gabion wall reinforcements, costing R5 million to R20 million per project.
• Tarred roads like P746 in Nsingweni, severely potholed, require blacktop resurfacing at an estimated R4.5 million.

Durban Region

Critical roads, funded by a R1.3 billion allocation, include:

• iLembe District: P20-2 (R15,000,000.00), P715 (R4,000,000.00), D1515 (R6,000,000.00), P339 (R4,000,000.00), P25-3 (R10,000,000.00), and P104 (R30,000,000.00).
• uGu District: P464 (R45,000,000.00), P3-1 (R2,000,000.00), D2386 (R22,500,000.00), P923 (R7,500,000.00), P520 (R13,500,000.00), and P197-3 (R20,000,000.00).
• eThekwini Metro: P551 (R2,000,000.00), D1611 (R10,000,000.00), P197-3 (R20,000,000.00), P3-1 (R25,000,000.00), P718 (R123,500,000.00), and P385 (R200,000,000.00).

“Once we secure these funds, we will swiftly initiate emergency procurement processes to ensure the timely repair of our damaged infrastructure, with the aim of completing the projects within months,” assured MEC Duma.

Ladysmith Region

Severe damage affected roads including P281 in Msinga, L557 in Utrecht, D296 in Blood River, and D1348 in Nquthu. The Department has deployed contractors and internal teams to address these issues.

Pietermaritzburg Region

• Restoring the road network in Pietermaritzburg is estimated at R261 million.
• In uMgungundlovu District, affected roads include D406 in uMngeni Municipality, D568 in Mpofana Municipality, D1223 in Impendle Municipality, and L1487 in Msunduzi Municipality.
• In Harry Gwala Municipality, impacted roads include D616, D623, P606, D607, D662, L946 in Kokstad Municipality; D1050, P112, P729, L1639, P73, P246, L186, L1529, L981, L2815, D2391, D483, D1005, L1105, P113, D64 in Ubuhlebezwe Municipality; P601-1, L2306, L2278, L2298, L2173, D2420, L2195, L2239, L2236, L2238, L2147, D2413, D2406, L2253, P479, D634, L3306 in Umzimkhulu Municipality; and D206, L1618, L1883, P318-2, D1356, D2, D8, D1769, D2168 in Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma Municipality.

The Department has mobilised zonal contractors and internal resources to address these roads.

To address contractor underperformance, the Department has also terminated some projects and reported defaulting contractors to the Treasury and CIDB for inclusion on the default register, reinforcing its commitment to quality and accountability.

Regarding capital projects, Duma noted that budget containment measures issued in November 2024 required revisions to sustain ongoing projects, reflecting the Department’s dedication to completion. He said, “As a Department, we are dedicated to keeping our stakeholders, including Amakhosi, councillors, and the community, informed about the challenges and reasons for delays in some projects.”

Projects impacted by budget constraints, yet continuing, include:

• District Road D880 under King Cetshwayo District.
• Main Road P711 under iLembe District.
• Main Road P73 under Ugu District.
• Main Road P112 under Harry Gwala District.
• Local Road L1159 under eThekwini District.
• Main Road P444 under uMkhanyakude District.

As per MEC Duma, these investments span all provincial districts, showcasing a commitment to equitable development. (Certain projects and services, implemented province-wide, are categorised under “Whole Province.”)

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Roads to be constructed and upgraded this financial year include:

• P130 in Impendle, upgrade from km 18+00 to km 5+00 at R96 million.
• P129 in Impendle, upgrade from km 3+00 to km 6+00 at R95 million.
• P123 in eGqumeni, upgrade from km 0+00 to km 7+17 at R176 million.
• D1014 in Bhobhoyi, upgrade from km 2+50 to km 7+57 at R156 million.
• P8-3 in Riverside, upgrade from km 17+56 to km 24+22 at R129 million.
• D365 in Ray Nkonyeni, upgrade from km 2+29 to km 5+73 at R134 million.
• D1867 in Phongola, upgrade from km 6+00 to km 16+87, and Mozana Bridge at R427 million.
• D883 in Endulinde, upgrade from km 3+00 to km 8+43 at R139 million.
• P104 in Shakaskraal, upgrade from km 18+00 to km 24+00 at R143 million.
• D77 in Ntembisweni, upgrade from km 0+00 to km 5+00 at R157 million.
• D1842 in Manyiseni, upgrade from km 30+60 to km 40+60 at R196 million.
• Roads to be rehabilitated and resealed this financial year include:
• P41 in Utrecht, rehabilitation from km 00+00 to km 32.00 at R650 million.
• P12-1 in Greytown, rehabilitation from km 12+00 to 21+00 at R23 million.
• P52-1 in Ulundi, rehabilitation from km 22+00 to km 25+50 at R65 million.
• P208 in Peace Town, reseal from km 00+00 to km 16+22 at R60 million.
• D48 in Besters, reseal from km 14+00 to km 25+70 at R92 million.
• P49-1 in Vryheid, reseal from km 14+00 to 25+75 km at R82 million.
• P235-2 in KwaHlabisa, reseal from km 0+00 to km 04+00 at R37 million.
• P200 in Port Shepstone, completion of reseal from km 0+00 to km 6+00 at R18 million.
• P17 in Msinga, reseal across km 47+00 to km 52+00 at R52 million.
• Bridges to be constructed this financial year include:
• uMgungundlovu District – D669 bridge, construction starting in 2025–2026 at R41 million.
• uMzimkhulu River Bridge Centocow – bridge construction under Centocow at R89 million.
• Ibisi River Bridge – bridge construction under uMzimkhulu at R97 million.
• Illovo Pedestrian Bridge – bridge construction under Illovo at R22 million.
• In uMzinyathi District, consultants are finalising designs for the Nadi Bridge in Msinga, with completion expected in the 2025/2026 financial year. In uThukela District, the Kwesentombi Bridge on road P176 is complete and under review for approval.

Reflecting on the above, for KwaZulu-Natal’s residents, the Department’s R9.2 billion plan could mean smoother, safer roads, cutting down on the frustration of dodging potholes or navigating flood-damaged routes.

If projects like the P41 rehabilitation in Utrecht or D2042 reconstruction in KwaKhoza succeed, commuters could spend less time stuck in traffic or repairing damaged vehicles, while better roads could draw more business to local shops and markets. The focus on hiring local workers for repairs also promises job opportunities, particularly in hard-hit rural areas.

But these benefits aren’t guaranteed. Floods, tight budgets, and past delays raise doubts about delivery. Residents need to see real progress—fewer potholes, reliable bridges, and faster commutes—not just plans on paper. The Department must keep communities informed and hold contractors accountable to ensure these projects actually improve daily life across KZN and do not fall victim to tender issues.

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