Maintenance of historical passes slack

GEORGE NEWS - The troubles of the historical Montagu Pass are ongoing and concern about the continued existence of the road is mounting after it was again closed on Tuesday 14 February due to further rain damage.

The pass is a heritage site protected under the National Heritage Resources Act. Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), as agent for the Department of Transport and Public Works (DTPW), late last year started with repairs after flood damage in November 2021.

The works were halted by Heritage Western Cape (HWC) since the required approval and permit had not been granted. Only certain maintenance activities were then allowed to continue.

HWC in November 2022 said their findings from a site inspection would be provided to the Department of Transport and Public Works (DTPW) within a few days. CEO Michael Janse van Rensburg promised that interventions and appropriate restoration efforts would follow, given the historical significance of the pass.

This week, DTPW said it is engaging HWC "in terms of passes of heritage value, to ensure that work is done responsibly". In the interim the resources for Montagu Pass were channelled to other priorities on the road network in the region.

There is concern over the condition of the Seven Passes road between Saasveld and Wildernes Heights. Photo Alida de Beer

'Expertise available to help authorities'

George Heritage Society chair Willie-John van Niekerk expressed frustration at being unable to communicate with HWC and GRDM. He said the grading and repair work done last year have worsened the situation.

"The bumps in the pass that used to channel storm water to the gutters in the wall along the pass, were flattened and with every heavy rainfall we get, further erosion of the road surface takes place. The drainage holes were also filled with cement, which aggravates the situation. We cannot wait for the next flood before this is corrected and rehabilitation is done.

"There is expertise out there in the private sector and eagerness to help the authorities to get this right, even volunteers who are willing to help execute the rehabilitation."

He said he was told that visitor numbers to the Old Toll House have dropped sharply.

A section of the pass between Saasveld and Wilderness Heights is subsiding. It is around a bend and not visible to traffic from an easterly direction. Photo: Alida de Beer

Heavy vehicles on Seven Passes

Local heritage champion Henry Paine has also aired concern over the condition of the Seven Passes Road between NMU George Campus (Saasveld) and Wilderness Heights. He said in many places the road is moving, subsiding and cracking as a result of heavy vehicle traffic and improperly managed drainage. Poisoning of the verges leads to destabilisation of the soil and erosion.

"Many areas of the road have a very thin layer of tar with stone rolled into it, which is fine for normal car traffic - if maintained - but is absolutely not okay for heavy vehicles."

Last year, the Silver River bridge was damaged by a large truck that had tried to negotiate its way through the narrow pass. It has not yet been repaired. There is also previous damage to the Kaaimans River bridge.

The DTPW said its roads branch has been working on the road, even from before the floods in 2021. The department appointed a civil engineering consultant to design solutions for permanent works on this road and other damaged divisional roads. This is subject to discussions with Heritage Western Cape.

A truck last year took away part of the Silver River bridge while trying to negotiate its way through the narrow Seven Passes road between Wilderness Heights and Saasveld. Photo: Alida de Beer

'Receiving attention'

Regarding heavy vehicle traffic on the road, Quinton Williams, George chief for the Provincial Traffic Department, said Seven Passes is not a high-priority route for the department. "We are unable to patrol it every day, but the matter is enjoying attention.

"Farmers in that area receive large trucks on their farms for deliveries or collections. We appeal to the public and transport companies to keep to the road rules.

Sign boards prohibiting vehicles of over 3 500kg have been put up. The problem is that drivers use GPS coordinates to find the fastest route and they do not know beforehand what type of road this is."

(George Herald has confirmed that there are no prohibiting sign boards on the Saasveld side of the pass).

There is concern because there seems to be no progress in repairing and rehabilitating the historical Montagu Pass after the November 2021 flood. Last week's rain has caused further damage and on Tuesday 14 February the pass was closed to traffic. Photo: Willie-John van Niekerk