GEORGE NEWS - After more than a decade of fatal accidents, repeated appeals and promises of improvements, Group Editors Company has formally called on local authorities to urgently intervene at the notorious George Airport crossing before more lives are lost.

In a strongly worded letter dated 13 October, Group Editors CEO Servaas de Kock urged George Mayor Browen Johnson and Garden Route District Mayor Marais Kruger to formally escalate safety concerns about the R102/R404 intersection to the Western Cape Government.

Group Editors calls for intervention

Group Editors, the biggest publisher in the Garden Route and holding company of George Herald and several other regional newspapers, is asking both municipalities to press the province to fund a permanent solution independent of the proposed George western bypass.

Responding to the concerns, Johnson confirmed that he was preparing a submission to the province, while Kruger said the two mayors had discussed asking whether the intersection’s two-way stop could be changed to a four-way stop.

The appeal follows another collision at the intersection on 8 October, in which a woman was taken to hospital after a Mercedes travelling towards the airport and a bakkie travelling from Great Brak River towards George collided.

‘A matter of life and death’

In his letter, De Kock describes the intersection, commonly referred to by residents as the doodskruising (death crossing), as a long-standing danger to motorists.

Vehicles travelling from the airport or Blanco have to cross the busy R102 from stop streets, with visibility concerns and high-speed traffic adding to the risks.

De Kock said George Herald has documented collisions at the intersection for more than a decade, including several that resulted in deaths and serious injuries.

“We fully accept that the R102 and R404 are provincial roads. That is precisely why we are writing to you,” he said.

He stressed that, although the roads fall under provincial jurisdiction, local authorities have a responsibility to ensure that residents’ safety concerns are escalated.

The letter highlights attempts to have the intersection upgraded dating back to about 2011.

In 2017, the then provincial transport minister reportedly indicated possible support for a traffic circle, but the project never materialised.

In 2020, following another fatal accident, then George mayor Leon van Wyk announced that the municipality would formally request a traffic circle, with construction potentially taking place during the 2022/23 financial year.

That, too, failed to materialise.

In 2023 and early 2024, the Western Cape Department of Infrastructure confirmed that no upgrade had been included in its medium-term budget, with improvements linked to the proposed George western bypass.

Mayor preparing submission

Responding to an enquiry following the company’s appeal, Johnson said that he had spoken to residents about the crossing.

“As the executive mayor, I have engaged with residents in the area, which also falls within my ward, where concerns have been raised about the airport crossing and motorists’ behaviour,” Johnson said.

He confirmed he was drafting a letter to the Western Cape Government’s Department of Infrastructure, through Minister Tertuis Simmers, requesting that possible interventions be considered.

These would include recommendations for traffic-calming measures to improve safety.

“Although the road falls under provincial jurisdiction, the municipality recognises the importance of working with the relevant provincial department to address residents’ concerns and explore practical solutions.”

Johnson said the municipality had requested its community safety and mobility directorate to provide statistics on complaints received by Traffic and Law Enforcement, as well as incidents attended to by Traffic Services.

The police have also been approached for information on accidents, fatalities and injuries associated with the road.

According to Johnson, this information will strengthen his submission to the province and ensure that the request is supported by available evidence.

Four-way stop discussed

Kruger acknowledged serious safety concerns at the intersection, particularly its collision history and the risks to road users.

He said the intersection falls under the provincial Department of Infrastructure, which is responsible for managing and planning interventions on provincial roads.

“I have engaged with Mayor Johnson and discussed the idea of asking Provincial Government about the possibility of changing the two-way stop to a four-way stop,” Kruger said.

He emphasised that the decision rests with the province.

According to Kruger, rumble strips were installed at the intersection in 2024 as an interim safety measure while the longer-term infrastructure solution progresses.

He urged motorists to approach the intersection cautiously, remain attentive to surrounding traffic and adhere to speed limits.

Bypass construction envisaged for 2027

Kruger said the proposed George western bypass is expected to ease traffic pressure through George, including at the airport intersection.

However, he said successive flood events in 2022, 2023 and 2026 had affected the project timeline, as funding had to be reprioritised to repair damaged provincial roads.

According to Kruger, the design is in its final stages, with environmental authorisation anticipated in the first half of 2027.

Phase 1 construction is scheduled to commence in December 2027, subject to the necessary processes and approvals.
His response did not specify when work at the airport intersection itself would take place.

Airport expansion adds urgency

De Kock also raised concerns about the increasing traffic volumes expected as George Airport continues to expand.

The airport handled more than 911 000 passengers in 2025, its busiest year on record, representing an 11% increase from the previous year.

Airports Company South Africa has announced a R310m investment to double the airport’s passenger capacity by the end of 2028.

According to De Kock, the anticipated increase in airport traffic, together with industrial development opposite the airport, population growth and tourism, makes improvements to the crossing increasingly urgent.

He also pointed to heavy vehicles using the intersection, saying trucks waiting to cross the R102 can obstruct motorists’ views of approaching traffic.

“It is indefensible that R310m is being invested in the terminal while the road serving it remains as dangerous as it was 15 years ago,” he said.

Permanent solution demanded

Group Editors calls on the two municipalities to formally approach Premier Alan Winde and provincial ministers Tertuis Simmers and Isaac Sileku, requesting funding for a permanent solution as a stand-alone safety project.

The company calls for a permanent solution suited to the traffic flow on the road.

It has also called for immediate safety measures ahead of the 2026/27 festive season, including flashing amber warning lights, rumble strips, improved lighting, reduced and enforced speed limits and traffic officers at peak flight times.

George Herald is awaiting feedback from the Department of Infrastructure. This will be added to the article as soon as it is received.

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