'Dead Man's Corner' discussed

May 30 , 2008

Zululand OBSERVER

	'Dead Man's Corner' discussed Larry Bentley THE spate of serious and fatal accidents on the 66/R34 route between Nkwaleni and Ulundi came under the spotlight at a stakeholder meeting seeking to identify solutions. Submissions received will be presented to the Department of Transport in a report highlighting problems and recommendations. The report will divide the issues into immediate, short-term and long-term interventions needed to curb the fatalities. Representatives from the eShowe Cost Code of the Department of Transport, Mthonjaneni Protection Services, a community member representing business and agriculture and two consultants, Rob Tarboton and Derek McGuigan, put their heads together to come up with a workable action plan within budget constraints of the department. Problems identified as needing priority attention were the high speed limit on certain stretches of the road and a recommendation for the application of speed calming measures such as shudder strips and speed humps. Old warning signs should also be replaced by reflective signs, as some of the existing signage does not reflect at night. Road markings were also identified as a problem and these need to be renewed with the new 'plastic-based' paint which cannot be watered down by contractors. Other issues The arrestor beds on the Melmoth Pass need to be brought back to their original standard and then properly maintained. The general lack of maintenance of the verges of the entire road between the Ulundi turn-off and Nkwaleni was noted with concern. Maintenance of barriers and the removal of vegetation needs to be monitored and controlled. Many drains are blocked and this causes water to accumulate on the road especially on the Mfulezane Bridge outside Melmoth. Both the Nkwaleni turn-off and the Unit 19 turn-off at Ulundi need to be examined as both are dangerous. A traffic count is also being considered as it is suspected that the volumes of heavy vehicles has increased dramatically, causing damage to the road surface. A weigh-bridge to monitor the overloading of heavy vehicles is also considered an urgent requirement. Dead Man's Corner Mondi Business Paper's Forestry Division is prepared to donate a portion of land on Dead Man's Corner, which will allow for the widening of the road with an additional lane. This will allow the corner to be cambered to acceptable specification and motorists will have a better view of the road.