On Monday 5 August, the municipality said that it has begun installing new stormwater pipes with work expected to be completed in the next three months.

The idea of a plastic road was first mooted by the DA-led municipality as far back as 2016, with the project officially receiving approval at the start of 2019.

Horatio Hendricks, executive mayor of Kouga Municipality, said the local authority had entered a partnership with Scottish company MacRebur and South African civil engineering experts to build ‘the first plastic road’ in Jeffrey’s Bay.

The South African reports a 1.7km stretch of Woltemade and Koraal Streets is set to be rebuilt over the next three months, in this popular tourist destination. Around 1.8 million plastic bags will be used alongside an asphalt solution, in order to lay down the essential materials which form a sturdy roadway.

“The backlog in road repairs for our region is estimated to be more than R500-million. While Kouga is strong financially, we simply do not have the rates base to deal with this backlog decisively,” Hendricks said.

MacRebur – which has already tested plastic roads in the United Kingdom and other countries across the globe – will head up the project.

They will receive assistance from Port Elizabeth-based civil engineering and construction companies SP Excel and Scribante Construction.

Hendricks said Kouga was looking forward to the potential benefits of the trial.

“Poor roads have a devastating impact on communities. It’s not only a danger to motorists it is also bad for the economy as it scares off potential investors and makes it difficult for existing businesses to ply their trade.”

He said should the trial be successful, the municipality would like to see a factory being established in Kouga to produce the pellets locally.

The DA touted the new road in a series of tweets on Monday.

Business Tech