The pedestrian facilities are designed to cater for the substantial pedestrian traffic using a section of the N2 south to commute between residential areas and places of employment and schools in the area.
The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited continues to put the safety of all road users into consideration during construction on the N2.
In an effort to improve the safety of pedestrians along a section of the busy N2 south, SANRAL has constructed proper walkways and bus bays.
Developing locals
Gavin Harrison, SANRAL Eastern Region Project Manager, said the construction of pedestrian facilities was designed to cater for the substantial pedestrian traffic using a section of the N2 south to commute between residential areas and places of employment and schools in the area.
He said: “Part of our community development initiatives are the provision of pedestrian facilities and safe access points for communities living next to the national road network. Such projects include the upgrading of access roads that link to a national road, the upgrading of existing gravel service roads to surfaced roads and the construction of pedestrian walkways.
“Apart from the social development that these projects facilitate, SMMEs undertake the construction of the community access roads.”
Harrison said the construction of the sidewalks for pedestrians between Oribi Toll Plaza and Albersville Bridge on the N2 south completes the section between the Oribi Toll Plaza and the existing pedestrian sidewalk (constructed two years ago).
This project also included the construction of two taxi/bus bays and strategically placed reinforced-concrete stairways. These stairways provide a safe link between the sidewalk facilities and the existing access points.
Three SMMEs were appointed to carry out works involving road marking, signage, hand railings, concrete works and erosion protection works, at a cost of R3.4-million.
Local labour was used a total of 21 women and 42 men. This is in keeping with SANRAL’s commitment to support efforts by government to curb poverty and improve the lives of South African citizens in general, by promoting community development.
Ntadonkazi Baxana (18), Sonwabiso Nyanga (18) and Litha Nohashe (17) show off the bridge designs of their teams during the third annual SANRAL bridge building competition hosted in conjunction with leadership development and youth accelerator iGEMs.
The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) presented its third annual bridge-building competition in Port Elizabeth during the July school holidays.
The event was hosted at SANRAL Southern Region’s Road Materials Testing Lab in Struandale. It partnered with Unity in Africa Foundation’s Incubating Great Engineering Minds (iGEMs), a leadership development incubator and education to employment programme.
The programme promotes engineering career fields among youth in high schools who have potential to go on to undergraduate engineering studies at a tertiary level, and then enter future engineering fields after graduation.
Holiday programme
The SANRAL bridge-building competition was one of a series of workshops, site visits and projects during the July school holiday for the iGEMs learners. The holiday course is an integral first phase in a four-stage leadership development programme, which incubates incumbents for about seven years.
Around 34 academically-deserving Grade 11 and 12 pupils from 18 schools in the city – who are from disadvantaged backgrounds – participated in the competition. The event offered a glimpse into the world of civil engineering and also allowed learners to put their creativity, team skills and future engineering skills to the test.
Based on the format and rules on the South African Institution of Civil Engineering’s (SAICE) bridge-building competition, learners had to design and then build model bridges using only wooden sticks, rope and glue in a limited time frame following functional specifications and construction methods.
The bridges were judged on aesthetics, weight and structural strength. In relation to the latter, suspended weights literally stretched the bridges to breaking point in an ultimate showdown between the 10 teams.
Learners appreciate the experience
Motherwell resident and Woolhope High School pupil, Litha Nohashe, is eager to become an entrepreneur to help reverse his family’s dire financial situation one day, he said.
“Civil engineering is interesting and I strongly recommend it to those who think it is boring. The bridge-building competition surprised me because I am not a creative person. The event opened my eyes in terms of understanding my character and the way I do things.
“As the world goes on, things have to be developed to keep with [the] times. Engineers are the ones responsible for that. Everything revolves around engineering if you think about it. We are the people that make everyone’s lives easier,” said Nohashe.
Sonwabiso Nyanga, a student from Newton Technical High School and resident of Kwa-Dwesi, implied that the competition helped her find a career.
“For me, the event was an eye opener because I was not sure which career to choose. So, by doing things practically it was fun to actually see what goes in when building and materials you have to take into account.
“Engineering is a very vast career field because you can see how things are developing now. More technology is being used and engineering guarantees that there is something to do and something to look forward to, because we are moving the world forward,” she said.
Awarding excellence
SANRAL announced that later in August it will host an induction event for the scholarships and bursaries that will be awarded to pupils in the Eastern Cape.
In the past financial year, SANRAL awarded 180 bursaries to learners in various schools and 300 scholarships for engineering-related studies at a tertiary level with an estimated combined value of approximately R8-million.
Mbulelo Peterson, SANRAL Southern Region manager, said: “The first question would be: why is SANRAL channeling funds in scholarship and bursary programmes? There is a simple answer. Engineering is a high-level scarce skill in the country. If we don’t invest in creating talent pipelines from high school and university for the future, we face the risk of not having engineers building and maintaining South Africa’s national road network.”
He went on to explain SANRAL takes an integrated approach at development of South African youth for future roles and careers in engineering.
“We begin with initiatives like today’s iGEMS programme which supports the development of youth in high schools. In addition to this, we offer scholarships and a maths and science programme for high school learners. When high school learners enroll for formal studies, SANRAL offers bursary options.”
The Moloto Road project offers economic benefits across the board, ranging from unlocking the mineral belt to improved transportation.
The Moloto Road Imbizo held at the KwaMhlanga Local Municipality in Mpumalanga was successful in fast-tracking the R573 upgrade.
This development will benefit the 50 000 daily commuters and 33 communities that live along the Moloto Road.
Transport minister, Joe Maswanganyi, said: “The R4.5-billion allocation for the project, announced in the 2017 State of the Nation Address, shows the government’s commitment to South African citizens.
“This upgrade is one of the strategic infrastructure projects (SIPs) being undertaken by government to revive the SA economy. It is also part of the Moloto Corridor, which will include investment in passenger rail services to connect Gauteng with Mpumalanga and Limpopo.”
The project offers economic benefits across the board, ranging from unlocking the mineral belt to improved transportation.
Executive mayor of Thembisile Hani Municipality, councillor Nomsa Mtsweni, said: “When the area is easily accessible, it will also be easy for tourists to visit. It must never be forgotten that this area is known for its rich Ndebele culture. A good road will contribute to tourism, which will translate into job creation.”
This upgrade is being built with safety in mind and promises to reduce the countless accidents and deaths on this road.
Limpopo premier, Stan Mathabatha, said: “This will enable Limpopo to achieve its developmental targets and reshape the structure of our economy with a strong focus on industrialisation.”
According to the revised Procurement Act, SANRAL, along with other government entities, has put aside 30% of the total project cost to create opportunities for small black-owned businesses.
This shows SANRAL is committed to bringing radical economic transformation to the road construction sector.
Residents have been recruited and contractors and service providers have now been appointed for the first phase in Mpumalanga.
“I fully support this project and ask that communities do the same,” said Maswanganyi.
The Moloto Road will not be tolled. National Treasury is funding the upgrade and maintenance of the road.
No more illegal U-turns will translate to less accidents on the R61.
Good news for residents of KwaZulu-Natal’s south coast: the erection of a permanent crash barrier over five kilometres will prevent illegal U-turns.
This will include the notorious Shelly Beach/Izotsha off-ramp on the national route 61 (R61) where several accidents have occurred when motorists made illegal U-turns to avoid paying toll fees.
Late last year, the South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL), which has a mandate to finance, improve, manage and maintain the country’s national road network, erected temporary barriers to ensure there would be some measure to prevent or limit the illegal crossing.
Salome Naicker, SANRAL Eastern Region project manager, said installation of a permanent wire rope barrier has begun and coincides with the resurfacing of the road. “The safety and wellbeing of road users and the communities, in which SANRAL operates, are paramount and motorists are requested to obey the laws on our roads at all times.”
SANRAL is currently resurfacing 20km of the R61 between Mbizana River and the Marburg Interchange.
The project also includes the installation of a median wire rope barrier to eliminate the illegal U-turns taking place at the northern side of the Izotsha Interchange.
Naicker said approximately 1.8km of the wire rope barrier is currently being installed, ensuring illegal U-turns are reduced in the vicinity of the Izotsha Toll Plaza. Installation along the remaining 3.2km is expected to be completed in September 2017.
“Motorists are advised to be observant of the advance warning signs and lane width reduction, and should exercise caution when travelling through the construction works,” said Naicker.
“The speed limit through the construction works is reduced to 60km per hour. Please be patient during the construction, which is due for completion in November 2017,” he said.
SANRAL continues to change the lives of everyday citizens by giving them opportunities in the road construction sector.
The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) has announced that the roadworks project in King Williams Town is nearing completion.
The 18-month project, which included work on the national roads in the Eastern Cape town and resulted in the employment of 150 people, is expected to conclude in November this year.
Construction ahead
Construction is currently taking place on Grey Street, Cathcart Road, Maitland Road/R63, Buffalo Road, Alexandra Road, the N2/Hargreaves roundabout, and the roundabout-Breidbach intersection.
It is anticipated that the resurfacing and opening of Grey Street intersections will conclude at the end of July.
Mbulelo Peterson, SANRAL Southern Region manager, said: “The road marking may require traffic to be limited to a single lane at times. There will also be some ancillary works taking place after the road has been opened such as the construction of manholes, kerbing and sidewalks.”
The roadworks are as follows:
Cathcart Road requires asphalt surfacing and road markings. The road is also expected to open to motorists at the end of July. This roadwork also includes some ancillary work comprising the construction of manholes and storm water drains, and completion of parking areas, kerbing and sidewalks which may bring about minor lane closures at times.
Maitland Road between Alexandra Road and Joubert Street will continue to experience lane closures as a result of asphalt surfacing that is still scheduled to take place. The remainder of Maitland Road/R63 to the Bhisho intersection only requires road marking. This section of road should be open to undisrupted traffic flow by August 2017. There will, however, be some ancillary works taking place after the road is open such as the construction of manholes, kerbing, sidewalks, landscaping and guardrails.
Buffalo Road still requires an asphalt surface to be applied and therefore some lane closures should be anticipated. The road is expected to be fully open to undisrupted traffic by October 2017, following the completion of the road marking. Some intersections of the adjoining streets may be closed off in order to construct storm water drains during this time.
The parking bays in Buffalo Road also require an asphalt surface and each bay will be totally closed off when this activity is taking place. There will, however, be some ancillary works taking place while the road is open such as the construction of manholes and kerbing.
Alexandra Road still requires the construction of open concrete side drains. This will limit traffic to a single lane at sections of the road where the activity is taking place. The road should be fully open to undisrupted traffic in September 2017, following completion of road markings.
The parking bays in Alexandra Road also require an asphalt surface and each bay will be totally closed off when this activity is taking place. Some ancillary works will take place while the road is open, such as the construction of sidewalks.
The N2/Hargreaves circle still requires an asphalt surface to be applied and therefore some lane closures should be anticipated. The road should be fully open to undisrupted traffic at the end of July 2017 after the completion of the road markings. Some ancillary works will take place while the road is open, such as the construction of sidewalks and guardrails.
The N2 to the Breidbach intersection still requires the application of road markings, which will require traffic to be limited to a single lane at times. There will also be some ancillary works such as the construction of guardrails and fencing, which may require some minor lane closures. It is anticipated that this section of road will be open to undisrupted traffic at the end of July 2017.
Cleaning up and finishing off the road and road reserve will be done continuously until November 2017.
“We apologise for any inconvenience,” said Peterson.
Dennis Rossman served the roads agency for 47-years.
The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) is saddened to see Dennis Rossman, a world expert who advised on the construction materials used on South Africa’s national roads network, retire.
Rossman, who retired on 30 June, served the roads agency’s Eastern Region office in Pietermaritzburg for 47 years – without doubt one of the agency’s longest serving employees.
Three days later, on Wednesday 5 July, 2017, he commenced duties in Pretoria as consultant and technical advisor in the private sector and to the road construction materials industry associations.
“I am still too young to hang up my boots,” said Rossman. “I have loved my job and believe I have so much more to offer by way of product development and mentoring.
“I don’t want almost five decades of experience and expertise to go to waste,” said Rossmann as he packed cartons of files, books, brochures and certificates of awards and cleared the office he has occupied at the same spot almost all his working life.
Early life
Rossmann was born in Pietermaritzburg on 21 June 1952 and matriculated at Pietermaritzburg Technical College. He wanted to study electrical engineering but could not secure a bursary.
At a bus stop he met a friend who was working for the then Natal Road Department who suggested that he should apply to the department for financial assistance.
“I was given a bursary to study towards a three-year diploma in construction materials and pavement engineering at the then Pretoria Technical College.”
His first posting upon qualifying was at Kelso on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast during the construction of the N2 freeway between Illovo River and Hibberdene. He spent eight years in charge of materials and construction quality control at Kelso.
He was then promoted as chief technician at the National Department of Transport regional laboratory at Pietermaritzburg before becoming the deputy director of the National Department of Transport and being responsible for materials and quality control nationally. He recalls he would spend one week each in Pietermaritzburg, Pretoria and Cape Town.
Joining SANRAL
When SANRAL was formed in 1998, Rossmann became chairman of the construction materials, pavement engineering and geotechnical engineering cluster within the agency, a position he held until 2016.
Every design and tender document in the Eastern Region has had to be approved by Rossmann from a materials specification and pavement engineering perspective. He has also exercised oversight of quality control on projects.
At any given time, he would be overseeing 30 to 40 projects.
He was responsible for bringing into South Africa the technique of ultra-thin friction course (UTFC) from France – whereby a very thin asphalt layer is sprayed to give a smoother, quieter ride.
An avid writer
During his career, Rossmann spent whatever spare time he had writing several books, some of which have become the reference work for construction materials and pavement engineering.
In 2009, he co-authored Concrete Road Construction. He was very involved in the writing of the South African Pavement Engineering Manual. He was also on the editorial team for Guidelines for Low Volume Sealed Roads.
Presently he is working on the Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Works for State Road Authorities which he describes as a “labour of love” and is being done for the Committee of Land Transport Officials (Colto).
He has delivered papers at several international and local conferences on roads engineering, and for eight years, he lectured on pavement engineering to masters level civil engineering students at the University of Stellenbosch.
Other positions held
In the early 2000s, Rossmann was chairman of the World Road Association-PIARC for two years and also served on the PIARC committee that focused on how to provide access to poor communities with low volume sealed roads.
He was chairman for five years of the Road Pavements Forum’s committee for bituminous materials.
For his years of service to the roads construction materials sector, Rossmann was appointed honorary life member of the Society for Asphalt Technology.
In 2001, he won the Southern African Bitumen Association Excellence Award for outstanding achievement in asphalt technology. In 2016, the South African Roads Federation feted him with the President’s Award for outstanding service to the roads sector in South Africa.
What does Rossmann think of the national roads network in South Africa?
“We certainly rate among the top five in the world – with the likes of France, Germany and Australia.
“Our roads are excellent and a large measure of credit must go to the vast amount of technical expertise we have had. We had great engineers – among the best in the world.”
Although he will still be putting in many hours of work a day, Rossmann hopes to find some time to improve his golf.
He also wants to go off the SANRAL beaten tracks: bundu bashing in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park between South Africa and Botswana.
The elders of the community together with the Provincial Roads Authority approached SANRAL with a request to improve safety on the road in Botlokwa.
The community of Botlokwa’s pleas for a safe road have been answered. The N1, which cuts through the Limpopo village, has been made safer for Botlokwa residents living on the road.
After three years of constructing the road, The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) opened the portion of the N1 to traffic on 10 July 2017 and handed it to the community.
Botlokwa lies on the N1 highway between Polokwane and the Beitbridge Border Post. The town is divided by the busy highway. As a result some people live on one side but do their shopping or attend school on the other.
In recent years, the community has seen an increasing number road fatalities. Paying a simple visit to a friend’s house was a life-threatening exercise. But with the refurbished road, residents can look forward to a safer commute.
How it was done
The elders of the community together with the Provincial Roads Authority approached SANRAL with a request to improve safety on the road in Botlokwa.
SANRAL heard the community’s pleas. After some discussions, it was decided that the roads agency would separate the passing traffic and the local people by lowering the road, and fencing it off. They would then build a road bridge on the existing ground level as well as two pedestrian bridges for the local people. This way, the community would not be inconvenienced while crossing from one side of the village to another and their safety would be secured because the highway would be inaccessible.
Tshidi Lethale, SANRAL Project Manager, said: “The project has enabled improved road safety for both vehicles and pedestrians. This was done by preventing the illegal access of pedestrians and traffic to the N1 by means of two pedestrian bridges and a vehicle bridge.”
The community wanted a level crossing at the busiest intersection, so that the bridge would be on the natural ground level. Subsequently, the N1 was dropped by seven metres. The vehicle bridge was built with two three-metre-wide walkways on either side of the road and the two additional pedestrian bridges at either end of the village were constructed above street level.
Locals employed
Wherever possible, SANRAL used SMMEs from the village and employed unskilled and semi-skilled locals to construct drainage and other concrete works, erect fences and safely direct the flow of pedestrians during construction.
Some 25 local sub-contractors were employed and 15 local businesses were used during the construction of the project.
“In total, we lowered 1.4km of the highway, with an average of 180 people working on the project at any one time,” said Lethale. “We only used local subcontractors and labour, where feasible.”
Throughout the process, SANRAL engaged with the community and its leaders to ensure that everyone would be satisfied with the final result and with how it was achieved.
Lethale said: “During construction, we held monthly meetings between WBHO, the contractors and ourselves. And the week before these meetings, we met with the Public Liaison Committee (PLC) to get their input and feedback.”
William Mahobja, the site agent for WBHO, said that the skills transfer has been an important part of the project.
“You need to impart skills so that when you leave, you leave on a high note. It’s important that the people benefit on an individual level, because there wouldn’t have been a project without them,” said Mahobja.
A resounding success
For the duration of the construction, traffic was rerouted along the “old N1” that was used prior to the nineties.
Since construction started, no further road fatalities were recorded in the town, which is a great measure of success. SANRAL may consider safety awareness campaigns to enlighten the community on how to use the new pedestrian facilities.
The community has expressed its thanks to SANRAL. Pedestrians who use the new bridges report feeling safer and happier in their home town.
“Years ago, this road was killing our people,” said, Donald Solly Mohale, the Community Liaison Officer (CLO) for the project.
“Once, there were five deaths and six accidents in a week. We asked SANRAL to move the road and they offered us the bridges, which we accepted with both hands. Since SANRAL came on-site, we have never had a fatal accident. As the community, we are happy to have the bridges and to have the agency by our side. We are happy now that we are safe.”
Today, the main bridge is a substantial structure, spanning the width of the newly surfaced highway that flows beneath it. The community can continue their daily movement from one side of the town to the other at natural ground level, without fearing for their lives. These structures have changed, and saved, their lives.
N3TC has identified the need to address some of the critical skills shortages in the country.
The N3 Toll Route, managed by N3 Toll Concession (N3TC), stretches from Cedara in KwaZulu-Natal to Heidelberg in Gauteng.
It traverses numerous deep rural and agricultural communities, small towns and villages as it meanders through Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal.
Transport corridors can provide the impetus to sustainable economic growth and the alleviation of poverty through infrastructure development, creating employment opportunities, skills development and the development and growth of business nodes along the route.
In response to the challenges of rural living, N3TC has identified the need to address some of the critical skills shortages in the country.
Commercial manager Con Roux said: “We are mindful of the fact that access to education is critical to ensure the sustainability of the region. In this regard, the company prioritises funding for educational institutions that demonstrate excellence in the provision of quality education, early childhood development programmes and building capacity in maths and science, technology and engineering.”
This is achieved through a variety of interventions, which range from providing learner focused interventions, basic, higher and tertiary education bursaries and scholarships, supplementary academic enrichment programmes, the provision of learning resources, staff training, and community skills development programmes.
“There is no doubt that education is key to South Africa’s economic and political transformation. Accelerated learning will not only benefit the individual recipients of funding, but also our communities, society and nation as a whole,” Roux said.
The road will be a welcome development for motorists, who have to sit mired in traffic for hours when passing through the town.
The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) is involved in the building of a R450-million bypass to divert traffic around Butterworth’s congested CBD.
The bypass could be a done by 2021, according to Eastern Cape roads and public works MEC Thandiswa Marawu.
Her department has already set aside the R450-million needed for the much-anticipated project, and construction is expected to start in September 2019.
The road will be a welcome development for motorists, who have to sit mired in traffic for hours when passing through the town.
Marawu said plans were at an advanced stage and she had already met with Mnquma municipal bosses and officials from SANRAL regarding the construction project.
When the bypass was first proposed a few years ago, it was proposed that it would start at the Ndabakazi turnoff about 10km west of Butterworth, and link up with the N2 on the Dutywa side.
However, Marawu’s spokesman Mphumzi Zuzile said the road was set to be diverted “two or three kilometres before Butterworth when you are coming from the East London side and just after Walter Sisulu University’s Ibika campus on the other side”.
Zuzile said the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the project had already been completed for the project.
The EIA report is awaiting approval from the provincial department of environmental affairs.
“After Sanral has obtained the necessary approval from the department, that is when we will go to tender so that we will be ready for work to begin by September 2019,” said Zuzile.
In May last year, Sanral approved construction of the bypass subject to the EIA.
At the time, the now former Mnquma mayor Baba Ganjana, said: “Approval of the N2 bypass in this area is an achievement.
“During the early and late hours of the day, transport is so congested in this area. Approval means that the traffic will be flowing at all times.”
He added at that stage that Sanral still had to report back to the municipality on the results of the EIA and the exact route of the bypass. After that the municipality would negotiate with households that would have to be relocated to make way for the road.
Futuregrowth decided to invest in SANRAL debt instruments again following a process of constructive engagement between the two.
Asset management company, Futuregrowth, has decided to resume trading in The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited’s debt instruments.
SANRAL welcomed this decision as it shows compliance to good governance.
Inge Mulder, SANRAL CFO, said: “Futuregrowth’s decision confirms the high standards of governance at SANRAL and will contribute to broader confidence within the investment community.”
The company decided to invest in SANRAL debt instruments again following a process of constructive engagement between the two.
Futuregrowth decided in June 2016 to stop trading in SANRAL debt instruments.
Mulder said: “We take note of the conclusions reached and the recommendations made during Futuregrowth’s review of SANRAL’s governance structures.
“Futuregrowth’s decision to suspend trading failed to take into account that SANRAL is governed by legislation and its Board has put in place a number of processes that ensure the highest standards of corporate governance are followed. It is unfortunate that they decided to suspend without communicating with us to clarify or resolve matters.
High standards of public reporting
Mulder said: “SANRAL remains committed to meeting high standards of public reporting on key issues to both the capital market and through our Integrated Annual Report.
“We are keenly aware of our responsibility to provide relevant and transparent information to the market that will enable investors to make informed decisions.”
SANRAL already undergoes biennial third party governance reviews and will publish such findings in their Integrated Annual Report.
“As a state-owned company, we are pledged to good governance and have embraced King IV as a guideline, with a Board of Directors that takes full responsibility for the application thereof,” said Mulder.
Mulder added that Futuregrowth’s decision should contribute to a wider sense of confidence in SANRAL’s corporate governance. She indicated that dialogue with investors will continue to cement this confidence and thereby ensure that the bond market remains a viable funding instrument for national road infrastructure.
She said: “We will engage the Minister of Transport where appropriate to propose improvements in our current governance as we are mindful of SANRAL’s governing legislation, the jurisdiction of the Minister and government processes to review the governance of SOEs.
“SANRAL remains a well-run institution with good bond market credentials. This makes it a prudent investment choice at a time when investment in road infrastructure is vital to South Africa’s future developmental trajectory.”
