SANRAL is forging ahead with recommencement of work on the R2.5bn mega Mtentu Bridge, which forms part of the flagship N2 Wild Coast Road. Upon completion the Mtentu Bridge will be the highest in Africa and one of the longest main-span balanced cantilever bridges in the world, at a height of around 220m.
The project is anticipated to create over 600 local jobs during construction.
The provinces of KwaZulu-Natal, Free State and Gauteng are set to see considerable growth in the economy due to upgrades to the N3, which will take 8–10 years to complete.
This includes widening the N3, with four or five lanes in each direction, and reconfiguration of most major interchanges along the sections involved. Community development projects will provide extensive opportunities for generating economic growth and alleviating poverty.
Night-time closure for Huguenot Tunnel maintenance Western Cape, 1 June 2021 – With extensive maintenance to the Huguenot Tunnel having been done under live traffic conditions over the last two years, the next phase of the upgrade will necessitate the night-time closure of the tunnel from Monday 14 June.
“Statistics show that only 10% of the daily traffic passing through the tunnel, do so at night-time. In terms of the least disruptive time, the tunnel would thus be closed to traffic, from 10pm to 6am, Monday to Thursday. This means that the tunnel will still be open during the daytime Monday to Thursday and fully open 24 hours a day from Friday to Sunday, for all road users,” said Randall Cable, SANRAL Western Region Manager.
This year, the tunnel had been in service for 33 years, with an impeccable safety record and a remarkable capacity load of well over 110 million vehicles. The electrical and mechanical systems have however neared the end of its life and need replacement to ensure compliance to international safety standards.
Much of the required maintenance work has been completed under live traffic conditions, to ensure minimal inconvenience to road users. These include:
“Some of the work, like the upgrade of the tunnel fire detection system, replacement of the tunnel strip and adaption lighting and the asphalt overlay of the Eastern Approach Road (Worcester side) cannot be done under live traffic conditions and will therefore be done at night-time during the planned closures. We anticipate that this should all be completed by 30 September 2021,” said Mike Vinello-Lippert, SANRAL Tunnel Project Manager.
SANRAL has been engaging stakeholders from local and provincial government, the road freight industry, the agricultural sector, SANTACO and the local business community on how the closures will impact their businesses, so that they are able to make adjustments to their travel times or use any of the various alternative routes.
The least amount of inconvenience may be caused by adjusting travel times to arrive at the tunnel before or after closure times. Where this is entirely unavoidable, alternative routes include Paarl – DuToit’s Kloof Pass – Worcester (±62 km), Paarl -Gouda – Tulbagh – Worcester (±121 km) or Wellington – Tulbagh – Ceres (± 74 km.) Depending on origin and destination, the N2 Grabouw to Villiersdorp (41 km) is also an option.
“Where unforeseen changes to the schedule are necessitated, we will communicate these as soon as possible, to ensure that road users are fully informed of the work being carried out and the effects this may have on traffic flow,” said Cable.
Real-time and accurate Huguenot Tunnel closure information will be made available on www.i-traffic.co.za and the SANRAL website www.nra.co.za, to allow road users to plan their journeys accordingly. Various other social media platforms will also be used to convey real-time and accurate information to all stakeholders. “SANRAL apologises for the inconvenience these upgrades may cause. The safety of every road user passing through the Huguenot Tunnel, is however our prime objective,” concluded
The contract for construction of a new interchange and Traffic Control Centre for Kokstad has been awarded. The N2 Kokstad Interchange is located approximately 3km south of the Kokstad central business district. Under this 33-month contract of approximately R563.50 million, at least R169 million will be sub-contracted to SMMEs, while just over R45 million will be spent on local labour.
Pretoria, 23 June 2021 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has revised its rest and service facilities rates for the first time since its inception in 1998. The new rates took effect from 28 January 2021.
SANRAL’s long-term strategy, Horizon 2030 is the blueprint for its development over the next ten years and among the key strategic interventions is the adoption of an Integrated Funding Model which entails the generation of own revenue.
Furthermore, the diversification of revenue sources and the development of sustainable revenue streams from the identified business areas are among the key strategic objectives. SANRAL’s Business Development Strategy identifies key pillars and key focus areas through which SANRAL can derive or significantly increase its revenue. One of these is that of rest and service facilities.
“The previous levy/rate structure had been in existence since 1998 when SANRAL was officially formed. The revised rates were developed with the intention of ensuring fairness to the market for all parties,” explained Thabiso Malahleha, SANRAL’s Head of Strategy.
There is also an approved Rest and Service Facilities Policy which outlines the planning and technical requirements for potential developers. The revised rate card considers factors such as traffic, Gross Lettable Area, and location of the facility with regards to rural or urban. The intention is to also let out opportunities for development on SANRAL owned land through an open and competitive tender process.
“Noting that there may be cases where access to the facility is not direct, in the strict definition it is accessed through a SANRAL interchange which needs to be maintained accordingly,” continued Malahleha.
SANRAL will at intervals review both the policy and rate card to ensure reasonable alignment with the market. Noting that there are existing facilities with direct access off the national road network that do not have an agreement in place. A process to engage these facility owners or operators will be followed.
Heavy rainfall, on Tuesday, 01 June and Wednesday, 2 June 2021, brought this magnificent view of water gushing down the Ntentule Falls on the Mateku River 20 km east of Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape. The waterfall, measured at 175-metre high, is located near SANRAL’s Msikaba bridge project. In 2019, professional surveyors and engineers discovered that the Ntentule Falls was the second-highest waterfall in South Africa.
The Msikaba bridge is part of SANRAL’s N2 Wild Coast Road (N2WCR) project. The key purpose of the N2WCR project is to serve as a catalyst for economic growth in the country. Once complete, the route will be approximately 69km and 85km shorter than the current N2 and R61 routes, respectively and, due to its shorter and flatter alignment, between 1 ½ hour to 3 hours faster, for light and heavy freight vehicles, respectively. This new route will significantly reduce vehicle carbon emissions and result in a time-cost saving to motorists and freight operators of approximately R1.5 billion per annum.
The socio-economic impact of the N2WCR project is offering significant injection for the local communities. The minimum 30% expenditure earmarked for Targeted Enterprise sub-contractors and suppliers will result in over R4 billion flowing to SMMEs most of which will be from the OR Tambo and Alfred Nzo Districts.
Pretoria, 13 June 2021 – SANRAL recently awarded a project to address the Merriespruit steel-ribbed culvert on the R33 washed out due to inclement weather. SANRAL is excited by the fact that this project will improve road safety on this section of the road.
At the same time that the new Merriespruit bridge is being constructed, SANRAL will also replace the rusted steel-ribbed culverts on the adjacent Brakspruit and Barberskuil streams with brand new reinforced concrete bridges.
SANRAL noted that when the three bridges are completed, the R33 will most likely be the preferred route between Vaalwater and Lephalale, as it is 25 km shorter than the alternative route.
The project’s high-level scope comprises establishing a small materials testing laboratory on site, including providing facilities for the engineer. An operational borrow pit will be established and three single-lane temporary deviations constructed at the site of each new bridge. There will be a manually operated Stop-Go through the day and traffic light-controlled signals at night. Additional work involves the constructing road and drainage works, three reinforced concrete bridges, the erection of guardrails, road signs, and applying road markings and road studs. Work will be done on protecting the slopes and establishing vegetation, and testing materials.
SANRAL’s Northern Region Manager, Mr Hlahla, indicated that this was a crucial link in the Limpopo province, and travellers on the road would benefit from improved travelling times and improved road safety. He further indicated that the project would benefit local SMMEs and positively impact the local economy. He noted that several work opportunities would be made available to local targeted enterprises in the Modimolle-Mookgophong and Lephalale Local Municipalities (MMLM & LLM). Local labour would also be sourced from the municipalities.
A Project Liaison Committee (PLC) consisting of stakeholders from MMLM and LLM has been established and was inducted in December 2020. After a slow start, the PLC is functioning well, and meetings are conducted frequently.
The awarded tender amount was R79 million. The consultant is a joint venture (JV) company between LEO Consulting (Pty) Ltd and Superstructures. The contractor is G4 Civils (Pty) Ltd. The Project Manager is Alan Agaienz, who can be contacted at 012 426 6200 or AgaienzA@nra.co.za
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Issued by FTI Consulting on behalf of the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL)
For editorial content or additional information please contact: pressoffice@nra.co.za
Mpumalanga, 3 June 2021 – Upgrading the Moloto Road will drive economic prosperity, improve road safety , and the high-quality road construction will reduce travel time, says the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited’s (SANRAL) stakeholder coordinator for Mpumalanga Province, Melba Geca.
She was speaking at a recent Taking SANRAL to the People event that SANRAL convened at the Kwa-Phahla Community Hall in Siyabuswa, which falls under the Dr. JS Moroka Local Municipality in Mpumalanga Province. Municipal representatives, traditional leaders, local business forums, community members and local small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) also attended.
Through the Taking SANRAL to the People programme, SANRAL interacts with different stakeholders and share information about its continuing role in infrastructure development, job creation and skills development initiatives on its road infrastructure projects.
“We are delighted that we are here today to have the opportunity to work closely with the executive team of Dr. JS Moroka Local Municipality and share information about SANRAL’s project updates in the Mpumalanga Province. It is our hope that after today we would have equipped community members and the local business community with adequate information that will assist them in accessing and participating on SANRAL projects,” says Geca.
Touching on the R573 Moloto Road project, which is one of SANRAL’s flagship projects in the province, Geca said that SANRAL’s aim on the project is to ensure that it is transformed into a business corridor. “We want to ensure that local communities and small, medium, and micro-enterprises (SMMEs) benefit from the Moloto Road project, hence the undertaking to establish these nodes. This motivation is in tandem with our key mantra of “beyond roads” at SANRAL, meaning that roads are not an end in themselves, but are a catalyst to improve people’s lives. We also want to showcase the importance of building roads that are safer for the movement of goods and people,” she said.
“The Moloto Road project is a Strategic Infrastructure Project (SIP) and Section 2 and a portion of Section 3 (which is the Mpumalanga stretch of the road network), which traverses a distance of 54.9km, has seven work packages which will provide job opportunities for the community. The first work package which was on Section 2 was completed in November 2018. We appointed a main contractor in February 2021 who will manage the second work package from km 24.7 to km 36.2. We also appointed a main contractor in February 2021 for section 3 between km 6.5 and km 13.3. Sub-contractors from the community will also be appointed and given an opportunity to work on the project,” said Lawrence Chauke, SANRAL’s project managers responsible for Moloto Road.
Chauke explained that the main upgrade that will be done on the project will include expanding the road to have two lanes in each direction, building roundabouts in intersections order to regulate traffic flow, upgrading access roads and pedestrian facilities, and installing new street lights, to mention a few.
“The Moloto Road upgrade will also include community development projects currently in the planning phase, and these projects will be the construction of access roads. The proposed key areas for these community development projects will include Moloto, Kwa-Mhlanga, Tweefontein, Kwaggafontein A and B, Moteti, Oorlog, Waalkraal, Siyabuswa and Kgobokwane” said Chauke, highlighting additional work to be undertaken in Section 2 and 3.
SANRAL announced that they will host two follow up sessions with the Dr. JS Moroka community, where they will share information on how the appointed main contractor on the Moloto Road project has unbundled sub-contracting opportunities for local SMMEs to participate in the tendering process.
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Issued by FTI Consulting on behalf of the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL). For editorial content or additional information contact pressoffice@nra.co.za
Mpumalanga, 4 June 2021 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) recently shared information about upcoming subcontracting opportunities on the Moloto Road project to Tweefontein small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) that are based in Thembisile Hani Local Municipality.
Information sessions with local SMMEs form part of SANRAL’s continuous efforts to communicate with the affected communities that are within the project’s target area about the sub-contracting opportunities and the requirements needed when bidding for tenders.
“The Moloto Road upgrade, along Section 2 of the R573 will have an immediate impact and benefit on local SMMEs community. Local businesses will be given the opportunity to participate in the tender process for sub-contracting work, enabling them to provide income for themselves and families,” says Nontobeko Mathenjwa, SANRAL’s project manager responsible for the Mpumalanga Province section of Moloto Road.
The project’s total value is just over R430m, with a minimum of R129m (which is the 30% of the contract value) to be channelled towards SMME development. In addition, a further R34m (which is 8% of the contract value) will be used towards targeted labour. “We will also guide the main contractor on the project to allocate the R34m across various targeted labour groups such as women, the young and people with disabilities,” says Mathenjwa.
King Civil Engineering Contractors was appointed in the first quarter of the year as the main contractor; the project is expected to take 36 months to be completed and a total of 145 job opportunities are expected to be created.
As part of further efforts to assist local communities around this project, SANRAL will also establish a help desk to support to community members who wish to submit their documentation and business profiles for tendering Tender training sessions will also be provided to local SMMEs to ensure that they are well equipped and have a clear understanding of what to expect at the tender brief.
This is not the first time that SANRAL convenes an information session of this nature with Tweefontein and neighbouring areas. SANRAL recently engaged with Tweefontein and Kwaggafontein A and B in April 2021. The purpose of this engagement was to discuss the land acquisition process where a community resolution was reached with affected communities. This community resolution session was convened in partnership with the provincial and local government.
At those sessions, key learnings that were discussed include formation of joint ventures (JVs) with other local SMMEs, collating required documentation and filling it properly when tendering, and the importance of other legal requirements such as tax clearance certificates and BBBEE compliance.
Working together with local municipalities, SANRAL has also assisted in establishing Project Steering Committees that will ensure that SMMEs will be involved in its projects, from upgrades to the general maintenance of the road. One of the key responsibilities of the Project Steering Committee is to create a database of local community members and ensure that they are employed on SANRAL projects. The Steering Committee also guides SANRAL on the appointment of Community Liaison Officers (CLO).
A key outcome of this initiative has been the establishment of Project Liaison Committees (PLC). PLCs continue to ensure oversight in the subcontracting and labour recruitment process of SANRAL projects. “By enabling the PLC to have this oversight, it helps the community to take ownership of their local projects, ensure absorption of the local labour force and also ensure transparency,” says Melba Geca, SANRAL’s Stakeholder Coordinator responsible for Mpumalanga Province.
SANRAL encourages local communities to take advantage of opportunities that it offers on the Moloto project.
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Issued by FTI Consulting on behalf of the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL)
For editorial content or additional information please contact: pressoffice@nra.co.za
Pietermaritzburg 14 June 2021 – Construction work for the upgrade of the N3 from the Cato Ridge Interchange to the northern end of the Dardanelles Cutting, which began in April 2021, is now entering a new phase, which will involve stop/go restrictions, the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) has announced.
The patching and re-surfacing of the existing R103, which is the road running alongside the N3, is planned to commence on 14 June 2021 and should be complete towards the end of July 2021. There will be stop/go restrictions, but to accommodate peak traffic, the construction work will be carried out between 9am and 4pm each day.
“Temporary concrete barriers will continue to be erected at night on the right-hand side of both carriageways of the N3 to enable the temporary widening of the southbound to commence. Piling for the foundation of a future bridge at Camperdown Interchange will commence on 21 June 2021,” said Mohamed Parak, SANRAL’s Eastern Region Project Manager.
During all construction activities on the N3, two-lane traffic flow in each direction will be maintained during the daytime, with minimal disruption to the traffic. During night-time, the fast lane will be closed over approximately 2km during the erection of the temporary barriers. This will result in minor delays to traffic.
The current emergency repair works on the N3, which are being carried out at night, are scheduled to be completed by 13 June 2021.
“We appeal to road users to take note of the construction activities and to be observant of the advance warning signs and speed restrictions, when travelling past the construction work zones. Road users are encouraged to plan their trips accordingly, and to make provision for the additional travel time,” said Parak.
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Issued by FTI Consulting on behalf of the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL)
For editorial content or additional information contact: pressoffice@nra.co.za