GEORGE NEWS - Many residents have been frustrated with the ongoing roadworks in Rose Street, a vital route through Pacaltsdorp. George Municipality has now provided an update on why the delays have happened, and what progress is being made.

Work on the road upgrade started back in September 2024 as part of the bigger Heather, Haydn and Rose Streets project. 

Things got off to a good start, but then the team ran into some serious hiccups. An old asbestos cement water pipe was discovered underground, and because it was already in a poor condition, it kept breaking during the construction process. This caused delays while the matter was sorted out.

For safety reasons, the old pipe has now been replaced with a much stronger, modern high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe. The new pipeline is in place, and connections to homes are currently being tested.

Because of these challenges, the original construction schedule has been pushed out. The project was meant to be phased from March 2026, with everything wrapped up by September. New timelines are being worked on and will be shared as soon as they’ve been finalised.

In the meantime, the contractor’s safety team checks barricades and signs daily to keep both drivers and pedestrians safe. Even though some signage has been vandalised or stolen, the measures are put back up each morning.

Residents driving in and out of Pacaltsdorp are asked to keep an eye on all road signage showing detours, closures and turn restrictions during the work.

The municipality says it understands the frustration caused by the delays, but stresses that this is an essential infrastructure upgrade. They thank everyone for their patience and co-operation.

Enquiries: Alewijn Dippenaar on 082 457 5675 or George Self on 083 883 5260.

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