The country’s first plastic road has been officially opened in Jeffreys Bay and could result in an international plastic road company setting up a factory in SA. 

The ribbon-cutting ceremony at the opening of Woltemade Street in Jeffreys Bay took place on Friday after the road’s completion  — which took less than three months.

Jeffreys Bay mayor Horatio Hendricks said it was Africa’s first eco-friendly plastic road. About 1.5 tons of plastic, which is comparable to 1.8-million plastic bags, was used to make just 1km of road.

Hendricks agreed to the project when Scottish manufacturer MacRebur and Port Elizabeth-based companies SP Excel and Scribante came on board.

The spin-off business to the project could see MacRebur open a factory in SA in a bid to build more such environmentally friendly roads.

The 300m strip of Woltemade Street was relayered with plastic-infused tar and a further section of Koraal Street will follow.

By the end of the project both streets would have used three-million plastic bags.

“The road now includes 700kg of recycled waste plastic.

“The result is a road that is more durable and also friendlier to the environment,” Hendricks said at the opening.