Concern about historic pass

GEORGE NEWS - The George Heritage Trust has expressed concern about the bad state of the historic Montagu Pass between George and the village of Herold in the Outeniqua Mountains.

The pass dates back to 1847, when the contract was awarded for construction, and it is a national monument.

The matter was on the agenda of the trust on Thursday 27 January and members want the repairs to be made as soon as possible.

Henry Paine, chairperson of the trust, recently travelled in the pass and was shocked at the extent of damage caused by the heavy rain in November 2021.

He told George Herald on Monday 31 January that it is very important for someone with the required knowledge to make input into the repairs of the pass.

"If you make changes to the grading and camber incorrectly, then the storm water will wash away the stone retaining walls. It is very important to maintain the pass using knowledge of gravel road passes and their construction," he said.

Not only does it have historic value, but it is also important as a tourist destination. It is one of the oldest passes in South Africa that is still in use. It is most definitely a historic asset.

The damage in the historic Montagu Pass.

According to him a trip up the pass, starting on the George side and travelling past the Old Toll House to Herold Winery and the nearby Herold village, is a wonderful adventure with unequalled views of the Outeniqua Mountain.

The vegetation on the verges and mountain slopes has recovered completely since it was destroyed in the George fires some years ago.

The damage in the historic Montagu Pass.

Paine stressed that repair work should start urgently. It is also important to note that there is a process that must be followed for repair work on all heritage structures, which is set out in the National Heritage Resources Act.

This includes that a permit must be given by Heritage Western Cape before any work can be started.

Henry Hill, a councillor on the George city council, has undertaken to request the responsible engineers at the Garden Route District Municipality to ensure that all laws and regulations are adhered to.

The district municipality referred George Herald to the Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works for comment.

The damage in the historic Montagu Pass.

Province reaction

According to Jandré Bakker, spokesperson of the Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works, both the department and the district road engineers office are aware of the state of the pass.

The pass was severely damaged during the storm on 22 November 2021 and had to be temporarily closed. It has since been reopened and only routine maintenance is being done until they can schedule larger work programmes that are resource dependent.

Permanent repair work hasn't yet been scheduled. At present, emergency work to ensure safe access on the rest of the provincial road network takes precedence, for example the MR355 (Saasveld Road), where there currently is no access.

The damage in the historic Montagu Pass.
Photos: Henry Paine