MEDIA RELEASE
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy says N2-N3 upgrade in KwaZulu-Natal is creating thousands of jobs and providing massive boost to province’s economy
Durban, 10 October 2024 – Transport Minister Barbara Creecy says the South African National Road Agency’s (SANRAL) flagship project to upgrade the N2 and N3 in KwaZulu-Natal is creating tens of thousands of jobs and providing a massive boost to the province’s economy. As part of the government’s Transport Month activities, Minister Creecy on Thursday inspected progress on the construction work being undertaken on the N2 and N3, accompanied by KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements.
Speaking at the Key Ridge construction site between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, Minister Creecy said: “I have seen the massive construction works currently underway on both the N2 and N3. Today we are showcasing the critical road infrastructure which SANRAL is developing here in KwaZulu-Natal. The work that we are currently undertaking on the N2 and N3 is the biggest road upgrade that KwaZulu-Natal has seen in several decades. Once completed, 135kms will have been upgraded to a total value of R50 billion.”
MEC Duma said the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government appreciated the contribution that SANRAL’s multi-billion-rand upgrades on the N2 and N3 were making to economic development, SMME empowerment and job creation for the youth. MEC Duma said SANRAL was playing a pivotal role in the provision of infrastructure. “This project to upgrade the N2 and N3 will be a legacy project for the province of KwaZulu-Natal and its people,” he said.
Minister Creecy said the N2-N3 upgrades were aimed at relieving congestion, improving safety and facilitating economic growth through the efficient movement of goods and people.
“This corridor is strategically important for both the movement of people and freight. A total of 70% of the freight that moves on land goes through the N2-N3 corridor to the
ports of Durban and Richards Bay. So easing traffic congestion and making these roads safer for both passengers and freight is a major objective of these projects,” she said.
“These freeways have been plagued by congestion and road accidents, particularly sections such as the one here at Key Ridge on the N3 which has a very steep gradient and has led to numerous truck accidents. The realignment of the entire section of road here from Key Ridge to Hammarsdale, which is worth R4.5 billion over 51 months, will have a major impact and significantly improve safety for all road users, especially trucks,” said Minister Creecy.
Minister Creecy said SANRAL was, through its projects, also empowering youth with the necessary skills to enable them to contribute to the economy. “We are doing important work to ensure that young people, whether they are in the artisan class or university graduates, have an opportunity to undertake onsite training so that they can then be registered as professionals or artisans in their particular category of work. Altogether, on this project to date, we have trained 1,000 young people. These include civil engineers, quantity surveyors, chartered accountants and artisans working on everything from welding and bricklaying to plumbing.
“Once they have completed their training here, they will be able to register as professionals. I’m particularly interested in the question of young graduates because we understand that throughout our country’s history, State-Owned Enterprises have played a crucial role in providing practical training to graduates of Further Education Training (FET) colleges, universities and other forms of formal training. In the past, that was not going so well. On this project, overall, we’re spending R340 million on training young people. As I mentioned, 1,000 have been included to date. The intention is that, over time, a total of 2,000 young people will receive their formal technical training on all of these construction sites.”
Through the N2-N3 upgrades, SANRAL would also assist small construction companies to achieve higher technical gradings that would enable them to tender for higher-value contracts. “One of the major problems we face in this country in terms of economic development and growth from a construction point of view is that it is difficult for small construction companies to grow and attain the necessary experience to move up the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) registration ladder. A total of 30% of the spend on this huge project is on sub-contractors, with the total value of this particular package of work being about R8 billion. The intention is to ensure that by the time a company has finished their particular package of work, they’re able to upgrade their CIDB grading. This means that next time, they will be able to undertake a higher category of work and, obviously, work of greater value.”
“These upgrades are not just about improving roads — they are about laying the foundation for future economic growth and ensuring sustainable livelihoods for the people of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and the broader Southern African region. These investments will unlock new opportunities, empower local communities, and transform the flow of goods and people across our continent,” added Minister Creecy.
The Minister emphasised that the Seventh Administration will invest considerably more in infrastructure which is in line with one of the Seventh Administration’s top priorities to drive inclusive growth, create jobs and reduce poverty.
BACKGROUND
The N2 and N3 in KwaZulu-Natal form part of government’s Strategic Integrated Projects (SIP2: Durban-Free State-Gauteng Logistics and Industrial Corridor), connecting the Port of Durban – the largest port in Sub-Saharan Africa – to Gauteng, the largest economic hub in the country – and further north to neighbouring countries in the Southern African Development Community region.
The N2-N3 upgrades programme includes nine packages and five major interchanges. The upgrade of the N2 is a 55km stretch of road from Lovu River on the South Coast to Umdloti on the North Coast, while the N3 upgrade is focused on an 80km stretch between Durban and Pietermaritzburg.
There are a total of 16 construction packages with a combined value of R29 billion, creating an estimated 33 500 total full-time equivalent (FTE) direct jobs. An estimated R2.3 billion will be spent on wages for local labour while R8.8 billion will be spent on targeted black-owned enterprises (SMMEs) over the next eight years.
On the N2, a total of nine (9) work packages will be executed, with an estimated construction value of R19 billion. The total full-time equivalent (FTE) direct jobs to be created is 21 500. An estimated R1.5 billion will be spent on wages for local labour while R5.7 billion will be spent on targeted black-owned enterprises (SMMEs) over the next eight years.
Packages that are under construction on the N2 and N3 include:
- Cato Ridge to Dardanelles Interchange (N3), which commenced in April 2021, with an estimated completion date of June 2025. The duration is 51 months, and the project value is R1.4 billion.
- Dardanelles Interchange to Lynnfield Park (N3), which commenced in January 2021, with an estimated completion date of June 2025. The duration is 53 months, and the project value is R1.4 billion.
- Lynnfield Park to Ashburton Interchange (N3), which commenced in January 2021, with an estimated completion date of May 2024. The duration is 52 months, and the project value is R1.228 billion.
- KwaMashu Interchange to Umdloti (N2), which commenced in August 2022, with an estimated completion date of April 2026. The duration is 56 months, and the project value is R1.2 billion.
- EB Cloete (N2), which commenced in May 2023, with an estimated completion date August 2028. The duration is 63 months, and the project value is R5 billion. The upgrade of the EB Cloete Interchange is hugely significant. Located at the intersection of the N2 and the N3 in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, EB Cloete Interchange will, once completed, stand tall as one of the most impressive architectural and engineering showpieces on the continent.
- Westville Viaduct to Paradise Valley (N3), which commenced in June 2023, with an estimated completion date of September 2027. The duration is 51 months, and the project value is R4.7 billion.
- Key Ridge to Hammarsdale (N3), which commenced in May 2023, with an estimated completion date of August 2027. The duration is 51 months, and the project value is R4.5 billion.
- Ashburton to Murray Road (N3), which commenced in November 2023, with an estimated completion date of February 2027. The duration is 45 months, and the project value is R 2.4 billion.
- Murray Road to New England (N3), which commenced in September 2023, with an estimated completion date of February 2027. The duration is 41 months, and the project value is R1.9 billion.
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