Proposed toll road gets go-ahead, despite concerns

A PROPOSED toll road along the Wild Coast which will apparently considerably shorten the travelling distance between the Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape and Durban in KwaZulu Natal, has been given the go-ahead in a completed environmental impact assessment (EIA). According to a report posted on the Eastern Cape tourism business website, the project proposes to upgrade the existing N2 highway to Umtata where it will divert to the R61 to Port St Johns and include 90km of new road construction through Pondoland to Mtamvuma. Four toll roads are envisaged for the road in the Eastern Cape and two for KwaZulu Natal. According to the report, the proposed new road avoids ecologically sensitive areas as far as possible and avoids the coastal exclusion zone. However, the EIA draft report does list concerns from the public and certain botanical experts about the impact of the road on Pondoland as the potential permanent loss of certain plant species is a possibility. However, to counter this the EIA draft lists potential positive boosts to the Wild Coast's tourism industry such as improved access to the region and a shorter route. The report from the vegetation experts in turn states that a road that avoided sensitive regions could be an asset if the regions were developed as conservation areas. (Adéle Mackenzie)