WORK on upgrading the R72 will start soon, after the turnaround strategy began on Friday, 25 January with the handing over of the construction site of the first phase by the Eastern Cape department of roads and transport to the contractors.

The strategy aims to improve the coastal road between Port Elizabeth and East London; and the contractors entrusted with implementing it are Hawn Inglis and Road Mac.

According to department spokesperson Ncedo Kumbaca, the R142-million project will cover 30 kilometres of road, starting at the East London Airport and running to Lilyvale. It is the first phase of the programme.

"More that a hundred people from villages along the road, including Ncerha Village, are expected to benefit."

The decision to upgrade the R72 was taken after a summit was held to explore the future of the coastal road, which links the Eastern Cape’s two major economic hubs, Buffalo City and the Nelson Mandela Metro.

It was organised by Business Eastern Cape and the department of roads and transport, and aimed to canvass stakeholders’ opinions on the need for and urgency of upgrades, the effect the current road had and the expected effect an upgraded road would have on the province’s economy.

After the summit, the province’s MEC for safety, liaison, roads and transport, Thobile Mhlahlo, announced the turnaround strategy for the R72.

Speaking at the gathering, Mhlahlo, said that there was a need to improve the R72 because only 95 kilometres of the 260km long road was in an acceptable condition.

"Traffic volumes, especially trucks, on the R72 have increased significantly over the past three years. This is by far the highest trafficked rural road in the province. The capital required to bring the R72 up to standard is R1,5-billion."