R300 million for flooded Eastern Cape road repairs

An extra R300 million has been set aside to repair flood-damaged roads in the Eastern Cape, according to a report.

The money would be spent on 30 different disaster relief projects for 2011 and for damage caused by more recent floods, Eastern Cape roads department acting director general Sandile Booi and general manager of roads planning Craig McLachlan told the Dispatch Online.

In the department's annual report, released in October, the cost of the flood damage was estimated at R1.08 billion.

Booi and McLachlan said the province had a road maintenance backlog of R17 billion, for 42 000 km of roads.

In April the SA National Roads Agency Ltd (Sanral) agreed to take over 4750km of the Eastern Cape's central road network and brought in R150 million in funds.

Booi and McLachlan told the paper that controversy over e-tolling in Gauteng had caused a delay in Sanral funding in that province, and resulted in another R100 million being channelled to road projects in East London and Mthatha.