MEDIA RELEASE
Premier Mabuyane applauds SANRAL on road construction in his last SOPA
Eastern Cape, 23 February 2024 – The work of the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) in the Eastern Cape – especially the construction of the two mega bridges at Msikaba and Mtentu – has received recognition by Premier Oscar Mabuyane in his State of the Province Address.
In his 52-page speech delivered at the Abbosford Christian Centre in East London on 22 February, Mabuyane reserved two pages on the construction sector and how it is set to improve economic growth, mobility and create jobs.
Referring to Eastern Cape as a construction site from all entrances, he touched on the two mega bridges, Msikaba and Mtentu, on the flagship N2WCR project.
“These two mega projects have special meaning to us because they’re located in the most impoverished and underdeveloped districts in the province. Their construction is already changing the lives of our people in Alfred Nzo and OR Tambo in unimaginable ways. In addition, seven road projects that lead to the two mega bridges will be upgraded from gravel to tarred surfaces in villages across eMampondweni,” he said.
The Premier mentioned other major road projects outside the N2WCR including the Breidbach/Belstone interchange and N2 Green River project near Qonce, Ndabakazi interchange near Butterworth, the N2 between Makhanda and Peddie, the R61 from Bhisho to Qumrha, the Kidds Beach interchange on R72, and the enlargement of the N2 between KwaBhaca and EmaXesibeni among others.
“In the past five years, the national roads agency committed R28,5-billion for roads construction in our districts and metros. By the end of this year, motorists in our province will experience the thrill of driving on a world-class interchange that is under construction near Breidbach in the Buffalo City Metro,” said Mabuyane.
He says the creation of 15,000 jobs by the construction sector in the past four years is linked to the government’s support for SMMEs.
SANRAL Regional manager for the Southern Region, Mbulelo Peterson, has welcomed remarks by the Premier and has committed that the roads agency will ensure that maintenance of the Eastern Cape road network does not lag behind other provinces.
“The biggest spend in road maintenance goes to OR Tambo, Alfred Nzo, Amathole and Chris Hani districts, which are mostly rural in nature. Here roads are badly potholed, and sometimes low-lying bridges get washed away during rainy seasons.
“SANRAL manages 5,400 km of road network in the Eastern Cape which makes it the biggest province in terms of national roads network, and with an addition of some provincial roads, this will see the total distance climbing to 5,600 km. We’ve recently taken over the R411 Viedgesville to Coffee Bay, Matatiele to Qasha’s Nek and Ngcobo to R56 through Satan’s Nek,” said Peterson.
The Mtentu bridge
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