The Free State Department of Police, Roads and Transport says the R30 road between Allanridge and Welkom has been closed until further notice as it had become a death trap due to its poor state worsened by the recent rains.
The closure follows a major accident which claimed six lives over the weekend, leaving five others seriously injured.
The department’s spokesperson, Hillary Mophethe, said the R30 has been flooded several times in recent months.
“In the most recent incident on Saturday . . . six people died and five were seriously injured when a white Iveco 22-seater midi-bus travelling . . . from Bothaville overturned at a low bridge site and plunged into the adjacent dam about 5km from Allanridge,” she said in a statement.
Mophethe said the department is concerned about the lives of road users and advised motorists to use alternative routes since the R30 is deemed not safe to use.
Vehicles travelling between Allanridge and Bothaville may use the S1075 secondary road and the R719.
Motorists travelling between Welkom and Kroonstad should use the R34 and those going to Orkney in the Northwest should use the R76 via Viljoenskroon.
“Additional measures are being looked into to make the alternative routes safe and extra road traffic signs will be erected on the R30 to ensure that motorists are aware of the situation,” said Mophethe.
“For the sake of everyone’s safety, the department pleads with motorists to co-operate . . . and not unlawfully remove road signs or illegally make use of the R30,” she added.
Several drivers have lost control of their vehicles on the notorious road with some of them landing in a nearby dam. – Staff Reporter
