No immediate fix promised for George’s infamous airport crossing

Update

GEORGE NEWS - Despite renewed calls for urgent safety measures at the notorious George Airport crossing, the Western Cape Department of Infrastructure has not committed to immediate improvements, and says it considers the matter concluded as far as it is concerned.

Responding to a follow-up enquiry from George Herald, the department said its position had already been formally communicated to George Mayor Browen Johnson and Garden Route District Mayor Marais Kruger.

“The position has therefore been formally communicated, and we consider the matter concluded from our side,” the department stated.

This follows a formal appeal by Group Editors, the biggest publisher in the Garden Route and holding company of George Herald and several other regional newspapers, calling for urgent intervention at the R102/R404 intersection, which has been the scene of numerous serious and fatal collisions over the years.

In a recent letter, the acting deputy director-general of transport infrastructure, Michael Hendrickse, acknowledged the history of collisions and the safety concerns that had been raised. However, he pointed to financial constraints, saying the department must prioritise spending across its 35 000km provincial road network.

According to Hendrickse, road safety priorities are determined not only by the number of collisions, but also by the rate of serious and fatal crashes relative to traffic volumes. Even where upgrades are justified, planning, approvals and funding are required.

While the two mayors previously discussed the possibility of converting the existing two-way stop into a four-way stop, the department’s response makes no commitment to investigating or implementing this proposal.

Instead, Hendrickse again referred to the planned George western bypass, which the department believes will reduce traffic pressure at the intersection.

“Implementation of the bypass has been delayed by successive flood events in 2022, 2023 and 2026, and the consequent need to reprioritise funding towards repairing damaged provincial roads. In the interim, the department installed rumble strips at the intersection in 2024 as an additional road safety measure,” he said.

Hendrickse confirmed that the bypass project is now in the final stages of design, and environmental authorisation is anticipated during the first half of 2027.

Construction of phase 1 is currently scheduled to begin in December 2027, with an anticipated construction period of 30 months, provided all goes according to plan.

In the meantime, the department emphasised that motorists approaching from the R404 must stop, yield to traffic on the R102 and proceed only when it is safe to do so.