The RSA government (under the auspices of the Department of Transport) and the Lesotho Government have joined together in the application to tar Sani Pass. Although some feel that Sani may become the new highway link between Durban and Bloemfontein, most would agree that this notion is outrageous! The best reason for tarring the pass is to improve the tourism potential of the pass.
Be that as it may, tarring the pass has not gone down well with all concerned. Think about the many tour operators who have ploughed money into their 4x4 vehicles in order to get tourists to Sani Top for a drink and back down again.
On the other hand, think of the many people who come down Sani Pass in 4x4 taxis in order to trade and visit relatives in Kokstad / Underberg etc. Anyone who has seen those taxis bustling up and down the pass knows that it must be the most uncomfortable 20km those people have possibly ever travelled in their lives. However, the biggest driving motivator for the upgrade is an environmental factor. The pass is surely eroding away. Currently none of the 2 governments are readily maintaining the pass, although the SA Roads department most frequently goes in to grade the road. However, grading the road does not solve the erosion issues. The new proposal has many engineered solutions to solve the erosion issues, and has put in place a rigid environmental management plan for the construction phase of the project and for the operational phase.
Personally I'm not sure how I feel about the proposal. Better access to the top means having to share the top with more tourists, and other effects such as pollution etc. which will need to be managed. However, more tourists means the managing body will have more money for maintenance, and the spin offs that will have. Hopefully the political powers that be can solve the issues with the thieving and smuggling, to allow the tourism potential to grow.
For registered users, you can download the background information document put together by the environmental consultants here.
You can partake in a discussion by clicking on the link below. I look forward to reading your responses.
Hi
I fail to see the purpose of moving the border post closer to the SA one. The awesome, magnificent views of the mountains and the grandeur of the majesticness of the Drakensberg, can only be diminished and downgraded with the addition of a border post building to alter badly these spectacular views. It will lead to further pollution etc.
Will the Basutho staff still be housed at the top, or will they too be housed at the border post?
I'm fairly familiar with the pass and there is very little flat enough land to build a border post on the pass. My opinion of course! Lol
Hi, I'm no environmentalist, but thoroughly enjoy the Drakensberg. I'm fairly familiar with Sani Pass, I have probably traversed it either in my trusty Isuzu 4x4, or on an XT500 about 25 times. First time was in 1982 on my XT. I'm not an expert though, as Sani can be full of surprises. And caution is always necessary!!
My concern with tarring is the prevention of icing in Winter. The addition of salt will be necessary, however what effect with this salt have on the surrounding vegetation once the ice melts and carries the ice down via streams and into the rivers? And the salt required will not be 4 table spoons either!!
Tarring will also encourage added tourism which in a way is very good, but tragically will bring too, those that are not so disciplined with their refuse. Why chip packets, cold drink cans can't remain in the vehicle until a suitable disposal drum is found, never ceases to amaze me.
The pass is still all dirt and gravel but it becomes tar from the Lesotho border post at the top. Quite an impressive tar road actually. Was there in June and there was absolutely no sign of construction on the SA side.
Anyone know the current status - I'm hoping to go up next weekend.
Also - any ideas for a less expensive way of going up? Sani Top charges R250 pp each way, I'm hoping there is a cheaper option. We currently have a team of 6. Still kind of hoping that someone with a 4X4 will join the group
Reading what Stefangrab wrote about the road in Lesotho where they are tarring the section between Sani Pass and Mokhotlong-I'm wondering what this section looks like at the moment. A year ago we travelled this section. I don't know a lot about road building but to me it looked as if they didn't really do a lot to stabilize the areas next to the road and the rivers downstream of the new roads were like mud. Does anybody know if they did something to stabilise the soil?
If they do decide to tar it, despite all protestations from eia's. Could they not use some form of course gravel impregnated into the tar surface, sought of like a course sand paper effect to help prevent vehicles skidding because of black ice.
Nor had it been “conclusively demonstrated” that a hard surface for the Sani Pass would bring large benefits to substantial numbers of people, said Suchet.
This seems to be a common conclusion in evaluating these proposals.
There are likely bigger matters at stake here than we might realize. Lesotho is currently having the road tarred from Mokhotlong to Sani Pass (top). And the Chinese construction crew are plundering the area .....with litter, digging up soft wetland soils as these are a good base for levelling the new road, dumping waste onto wetlands and quarrying slopes at lib. A bloody nightmare up there and no environmental oversight.
Anyway...there has to be a reason to upgrade this road.....and there would be no point doing this, if the Sani Pass section were not tarred. I suspect that the Lesotho government is putting on pressure on SA...and they can as they have the water! So I suspect there are much bigger economic powers controlling this matter.
Personally, I have seen tarred roads go up in Lesotho, I have given my advice and warnings, which have not been heeded, and subsequently seen the tarred surfaces disintegrate in a matter of a few years. The problem is that the constructions are using cheapest options and not made to last.
Sani Pass is problematic as the upper bends are in deep shadow throughout winter and ground seepage (i.e. from subsurface) will cause frost heave. The problem is compounded when adding salt, as the salt crystals further disintegrate the asphalt. Once this happens, the process accelerates as moisture penetrates fractures, where both salt and ice crystals further destroy the surface. This can be overcome through specially designed and engineered surfaces that require substantial foundations - whether this will happen we'll see. If it is the usual asphalt ...then it won't last much longer than a few years if we'r lucky. Then the best option will be to remove the tarr...and we'll have our dirt road back...a bit like the road between Ox-Bow and Mokhotlong (although that is now being tarred for the second time...and should be better given that the Italians are involved).
Finally - yes, the road will be much more dangerous and prone to accidents, esp in winter ....as is the case every winter up Moteng Pass. The reasons for this is that even a little ice will get vehicles skidding off the road, whilst ice on a gravel surface still offers traction through gravels and stones etc.
In my view, tarring the road has political undertones, and is indeed utterly devastating to tourism, the environment and very sadly, may result in loss of lives and injuries in years to come.
We need to all get together with our mnt bikes and cycle this road for old times sake!
Two articles were written by Steven Coan in The Witness which provide much more clarity and detail.
The DoT first proposed that the Sani Pass road be tarred all the way to the 2 865-metre high summit of the pass in 2005. Phase one of the project, involving the first 14 km of road, over relatively flat terrain, was quickly approved and work began in 2006. It took six years to complete and cost R200 million.
In 2007, an environmental impact assessment (EIA) process commenced for phase two — the 19 km section to the summit. A scoping report proposed six alternatives, ranging from “doing nothing” to driving a tunnel through the top of the mountain. The KZN DoT’s preferred option was alternative five: a tarred hard surface, but no tunnel.
Following the release of the draft EIA in 2011 most of the specialist studies recommended alternative three, which called for a gravel surface together with improved road drainage.
In the final report submitted to the DEA, KZN DóT recommended the hard surface go ahead.
However, the DEA opted for alternative three and accordingly issued an environmental authorisation to that effect on July 2.
The subsequent appeal against this decision by the KZN DoT and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife was opposed by the Southern Drakensberg Community Tourism Organisation (SDCTO) and the Sani Wildlife branch of the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (Wessa).
On May 15 the DEA overturned its own decision and ruled that the tarring option go ahead.
According to Mchunu, the KZN DoT’s appeal was based on the importance of meeting commitments of a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the governments of Lesotho and South Africa in 2005 to improve commercial, social and economic opportunities between the two countries through increased accessibility between the two countries. “From an environmental perspective, it makes economic sense to upgrade the road from gravel to tar as gravel roads require regular maintenance every two years,” said Mchunu. “Furthermore, retaining the road in its gravel state will actually negatively impact the surrounding environment.”
The initial decision by the DEA was hailed by the Sani Wildlife branch of Wessa as a vindication of the EIA process. It said its reversal was “devasting news”.
In a statement issued by Russel Suchet on behalf of Sani Wildlife branch of Wessa, representing the local communities, (including the SDCTO and community tourism operators in eastern Lesotho) he said the “vast majority of these communities believed that all the specialist reports commissioned as part of the comprehensive EIA process over the past six years had shown clearly that a hard surface upgrade of Sani Pass would indeed rob our area of one of its major tourist attractions, thereby seriously damaging the tourism industry on both sides of the border”.
In the statement, Suchet said the minister had “advanced no compelling reasons as to why she has altered the well-thought out decision her own department issued last year”.
Just wondering how they will cope with black ice on the road surface and whether or not it will be a realistic issue during winter months. Will salt/de-icing agent need to be used and how will they mitigate the risk of accidents and what the maintenance intervals of the asphalt surface will be should the use of de-icing agents be necessary (if at all). Also, if it is a concern, when and how and how often will this be checked and the correct measures put in place...just wondering...
The article is not written very clearly, but I think it relates to the appeal by the Department of Transport against the initial ruling that the top portion of the pass be left gravel (or some hard surface) - see my post earlier (#57935).
This article brings it out a bit clearer:
KwaZulu-Natal Transport, Community Safety and Liaison MEC Willies Mchunu has welcomed a ruling by Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa in favour of the provincial department’s upgrade of the Sani Pass road, which connects South Africa with Lesotho.
The first phase of this project had already been completed, with 14 km of the road now fully tarred.
Should there be no further appeals, construction of the remaining 5 km would begin within five months and would bring the total cost of the project to R887-million.
The upgrade of the gravel road to tar was halted when stakeholders, including local tour and lodge operators, opposed it, citing reasons to the effect that the upgrade would negatively impact on their business. The winding road up to the summit of Sani Pass attracts 4x4 enthusiasts from around the world.
Following the complaints, the Minister initially ruled in favour of the tour and lodge operators, a decision that the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport (KZN DoT) appealed in 2013.
The KZN DoT’s appeal was based on the importance of meeting the commitments of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the governments of Lesotho and South Africa in 2005 to improve commercial, social and economic opportunities between the two countries through increased accessibility.
@Jonwells: Yeah, the last 2 paragraphs are contradictory. I still think they could fix R74, although the portion of road requiring repair is in the Free State.
"The department of environmental affairs approved the upgrading of the road as long as the final 5km stretch up the pass to the border post remained gravel.
Mchunu said that the total cost of upgrading the 19km from Old Good Hope Trading Post to the summit of the Sani Pass at the border post would cost R887m."
Captain wrote: I understood the article to make reference to upgrading the entire road to the summit of the pass, probably terminating at the Lesotho border post.
From the article:
The department of environmental affairs approved the upgrading of the road as long as the final 5km stretch up the pass to the border post remained gravel.
Captain wrote: Why not fix the R74 instead?
Or both.
This is a R1b+ project (since the quoted price is always much less than the actual). But this road is used for trade between the countries and also has tourism benefits. It will naturally be tolled if tarred. I would be surprised if it is still in good condition in 10 years time though.
Thats what I also understood until I read this bit:
The department of environmental affairs approved the upgrading of the road as long as the final 5km stretch up the pass to the border post remained gravel.
