Progress is finally being made on the long-awaited rehabilitation of the R522 road between Louis Trichardt and Vivo, bringing hope that years of driving along a dangerous, deteriorating stretch may soon be over.
The road was earmarked for rehabilitation in April 2024, but the project quickly descended into chaos. The appointed contractor, Tycofield, delivered only 15% of the work before Road Agency Limpopo (RAL) terminated the contract in November 2024, leaving the road in a worse condition than before and nearly R8 million in public funds spent with little to show for it.
With the project lying idle and no contractor in place, tenders for a new contractor closed on 17 February 2025. An oversight visit by the Limpopo Legislature Portfolio Committee on Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure followed, but months passed without meaningful progress.
By July 2025, Democratic Alliance (DA) provincial spokesperson for Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure, Marie Helm, raised concerns, saying the situation had deteriorated and that the project had effectively been abandoned, with no contractor appointed despite earlier promises that maintenance would begin on 1 April 2025. RAL denied the abandonment claim, with senior communications manager Danny Legodi stating in August that the agency had initiated a process to secure a competent contractor following the lapse of the previous contractor’s service level agreement.
A breakthrough eventually followed.
MEC for the Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure (DPWRI), Ernest Rachoene, used his department’s 2026/27 budget vote speech at the Lebowakgomo Legislature on Tuesday, 12 May, to highlight progress on 21 new road projects and 22 rehabilitation projects across the province — among them the R522 and the D4.
The DPWRI has since confirmed that the R522 project, listed under Project T1417, is being implemented in phases. Kgahlodi Catering & Projects CC has been appointed as contractor, with Motjilela Consulting (Pty) Ltd serving as consultant. The contractor was appointed on 14 November 2025, with work commencing on 9 December 2025.
The scope of work includes patching, edge-break repairs, reconstruction of sub-base and base layers, asphalt surfacing, microsurfacing and road markings. With a completion date of 9 September this year, the project stood at 70.62% complete as of last week.
“To date, the project has incurred expenditure amounting to R10,259,097.02. An additional payment certificate of R11,465,438.11 has been submitted and is currently pending payment. Once processed, the total expenditure on the project will amount to R21,724,535.33,” said the DPWRI.
Helm, meanwhile, claimed credit on behalf of the DA, saying the progress was a direct result of sustained pressure and oversight. She said the party would continue conducting inspections to ensure the contractor delivers quality rehabilitation within budget and on time.
For thousands of motorists who travel the R522 daily, the finish line is finally in sight.