The P53/1 between Pilanesberg International Airport and Mogwase, is closed.
The North West Department of Public Works and Roads said closure is due to a collapse of a culvert along the route, caused by heavy rains, earlier on in May.
The Department also said technicians conducted extensive investigations to assess the extent of the damage.
They found the collapse was caused by ageing corrugated steel Armco culverts combined with water ingress into the layer works beneath the road surface.
Engineers recommended the construction of a load-bearing slab above the damaged culvert, as a temporary remedy.
This will cost about R11.9 million.
The contractor is expected to be on site during the first week of June 2026, subject to the finalisation of environmental compliance processes and pending feedback from the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs regarding the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Management Programme (EMP) assessment reports.
In the long-term, the Department plans to replace the old corrugated steel culverts.
Sempe Elizabeth Mokua, the MEC for Public Works and Roads in the province, said “we acknowledge the inconvenience caused by this structural damage particularly that it affects increased travelling distances, fuel costs, and delays experienced by road users who are now compelled to utilise alternative routes via the R556 and R510 roads. The Department understands the frustrations experienced and wishes to assure the public that the matter is being treated with urgency. As such, the Department together with the local municipality is assessing possible alternative bypass solutions to ease the burden on commuters.”
Similarly, Dr. Zamani Saul, the Premier of the Northern Cape, alongside Fufe Makatong, the MEC for Roads and Public Works, launched the first phase of the province’s Yellow Fleet machinery in Kuruman on Friday.
This is a major investment towards restoring roads affected by floods.
The launch also coincided with the rollout of Operation Vala Zonke in Kuruman, reinforcing the province’s intensified fight against potholes and deteriorating road infrastructure following recent heavy rains and floods.
Picture taken in Kuruman, the North West above : Supplied