Major upgrades to Aston Bay road
The Aston Bay road is about to undergo a transformation.
Work started this week on a joint project that will help to safeguard motorists and pedestrians while also beautifying the area and putting in place extra recreational facilities for the surrounding communities.
Kouga Speaker Hattingh Bornman said the project was inspired by growing concern about the safety of road users, as well as that of children who play on the open stretches of land nearby, and the cleanliness of the area in general.
“We had several meetings with the Ocean View community directly affected and just about everyone agreed that a pedestrian fence would be the best solution, coupled with the development of an alternative road between Jeffreys Bay, Aston Bay and Paradise Beach,” he said.
He said the municipality would be partnering with the Humansdorp Co-op, Marina Martinique Home Owners Association and Pure Design Architects, to bring the project to fruition.
Work to be done includes the erection of a pedestrian fence of about 1 km in length on both sides of the road.
There will be five gates in the fence on either side of the road.
“They will be v-shaped, so as to prevent animals from getting through and causing problems on the road,” Bornman said.
Additional speed humps, pedestrian crossings and solar public lights will also be put in place.
To top it off, we will be developing sports fields and a play park for children on the open stretches of land next to the road, with the fence providing a protective barrier,” he said.
He said the Humansdorp Co-op will further help to keep the area bordering the road clean and litter-free.
“We are very grateful to our partners in this project. It has the potential to make a major difference in the lives of the neighbouring communities and those who depend on the road to travel between Jeffreys Bay, Aston Bay and Paradise Beach.”
Bornman said a feasibility study was underway to determine whether it would be viable for the municipality to create an alternative road between JBay and Aston Bay by extending Duine Road to the Marina Martinique Road.
“We are also looking at the possibility of opening up and extending Diaz Road to connect to Duine Road,” he said.