KwaZulu-Natal authorities activate Snowfall Response Plan amid heavy snowfall
KwaZulu-Natal transport authorities have closed several roads, including the R617 near Kokstad, after heavy snowfall left a truck stranded and raised fears of motorists becoming trapped.
Heavy snowfall has led KwaZulu-Natal authorities to activate their Snowfall Response Plan, as several roads across the province remained closed on Monday. The closure affected routes such as the R617 near Kokstad, Underberg, Matatiele, and Clifton near Nottingham Road. The Road Traffic Inspectorate confirmed the closure of the R617 and redirected traffic to the R56 to prevent motorists from becoming stranded in dangerous conditions.
KwaZulu-Natal's Transport and Human Settlements MEC, Siboniso Duma, urged motorists to postpone travel and remain indoors, warning that conditions were deteriorating across the province. Authorities deployed road maintenance teams and heavy machinery to mitigate snow accumulation, with the Snowfall Response Plan focusing on removing snow before it reaches 30cm in depth.
The MEC also linked the extreme weather to climate change, noting that such events put increasing strain on the province's transport infrastructure. The impact of these incidents will be discussed at the provincial Transport Indaba in October. KwaZulu-Natal remains on high alert as cold weather and snowfall continue to impact several regions.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
