Road maintenance, rehabilitation and resurfacing projects have been awarded to contractors in the Eastern Cape, the South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd (SANRAL) announced.
“Infrastructure development is key in the acceleration of economic activity and growth. As a roads authority mandated with road infrastructure service delivery, we are happy to be back in operation and rolling out work. These projects will be a crucial boost to economic activity in the province. They will present much needed employment opportunities, more so now given the current economic decline due to Covid-19 and the lockdown,” said Mbulelo Peterson SANRAL Southern Region Manager.
In the Eastern Cape, the seven projects that have been awarded are the following:
- R 39 million for special maintenance of national Route R56 Section 3 from Molteno to Valkfontein (KM 18)
- R65 million for special maintenance Phase 2 Wolwefontein to Jansenville
- R83 million for special maintenance Phase 2 Jansenville to the R63.
- R32 million for special maintenance from Kareedouw to Section 10 Krom River
- R542 million for upgrading Fort Beaufort to Alice road
- R653 million for rehabilitation from the N2 Nqadu to Mbokotwana River and Dans Place
- R44 million for upgrading the R67 from Swart Kei to Queenstown
- R220 million for Special maintenance of R56 Section 4 from National Route 6 (KM 0) to Dordrecht (KM 35.3).
SMME development and participation is an essential component on all SANRAL projects, therefore various work packages have been reserved for targeted enterprises in all the above projects. Training will also form part of SMME development.
Community benefits presented by the projects will include improved pedestrian and road safety, particularly in high traffic spots where learners commute daily on foot to and from school.