Blog - Page 162 of 175 - SANRAL Stop Over

Rustenburg’s R24 Becomes an Urban Arterial

25Nov2015

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Traffic flow in Rustenburg is about to improve. The R24 on the west side of the town is being upgraded.

It is currently a single-lane road that has recently been incorporated into the national road network. It serves as a link between Rustenburg and other towns and provides access to the N4, Rustenburg’s industrial area as well as various smallholdings along the road.

Rustenburg has experienced significant growth in recent years. A great deal of the development occurred along the R24, which has changed the road’s status to an urban arterial.

Hennie Kotze, SANRAL’s Senior Project Engineer for this upgrade, said the North West province has identified the need to upgrade the R24 from a single to a dual carriageway in order to cater for the increased traffic volumes as a result of numerous developments in the area. He said:

“The increased capacity will also reduce heavy congestion during peak hours that is currently being experienced on the road and also on feeder roads as a result of the lack of capacity of the R24.”

The scope of work involves the construction of new road works, structures and road lighting as well as the rehabilitation of the existing road.

The project started in March 2013 and will be completed in October 2015. Kotze said as part of the contract, SANRAL requires that the contractor allocates work to local SMMEs and employment of local labour – a move which will contribute to job creation and skills development in the area.

These upgrades are done in part to create improved accessibility to adjacent properties, businesses and the potential for further development on vacant land which will have a major impact on economic growth in the area.

Advertising Standards Authority dismisses e-toll ad complaint

20Nov2015

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SANRAL has welcomed a ruling by the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (ASASA), dismissing a complaint regarding a SANRAL advert flighted to create awareness around the 60% discount on the new e-tolling dispensation.

“We are pleased with ASASA’s decision to dismiss the complaint,” said Vusi Mona, spokesperson for the roads agency.

“SANRAL has seen a concerted campaign against its adverts over the last 20 months or so by those opposed to the e-toll system. This is clear as complaints are laid only against our e-toll ads.

Despite this, we have an obligation to communicate with the public and will continue doing so in order to balance what is read, heard and seen by road users.”

Mona said that the 60% discount is an important next phase of the new dispensation. It has so far brought relief through the implementation of a uniform rate of 30 cents per kilometre for light vehicles, a 50% reduction in the monthly maximum for registered account holders and now for those with outstanding e-toll debt incurred from 3 December 2013 until 31 August 2015. All have been given a six-month period to settle their accounts, or make payment arrangements.

“We urge motorists to take up the 60% offer. Check your debt. You may be surprised to learn that it is not as much as you fear.”

Roadworks at night in Port Elizabeth

19Nov2015

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SANRAL would like to advise motorists of traffic disruptions taking place from tonight, Thursday, 19 November, in Port Elizabeth.
Roads will be closed during the evenings in order to complete the asphalt patching operations. At each road to be closed, a variable message sign (VMS) board will be in operation.

The following roads will be closed during night time:

Herewith some assistance with regard to alternate routes:

Alternative routes: St Georges

From the west to Motherwell and Wells Estate Bluewater Bay interchange: turn left into Weinronk Way, left into Hillcrest Right into Riverside, left into Tipper’s Creek, right into Amsterdamhoek Drive and right into Grahamstown Road (R102)

Going east from Motherwell: Turn left (west) onto R102 off Addo Road (R335), then right into Neptune Road, and left onto N2 at Neptune interchange

Going east from Wells Estate: turn right (west) onto R102 off Addo Road (R335), right into Neptune Road, and left onto N2 at Neptune interchange

Alternative routes: Commercial Road

From west approach Kempston Road interchange, turn right onto Commercial Road (R75).

Going West
West onto Chase Drive to Stanford Road interchange.

Alternative routes: Stanford Road interchange

Follow Stanford Road to Kempston Road, turn left (east/north-east) onto Kempston Road interchange.

Alternative routes: Kragga Kamma interchange

If on Cape Road, proceed to Cape Road and Disa Avenue intersection, turn north onto Disa Avenue to the William Moffett/Cotswold interchange.

If on N2, take William Moffett/Cotswold interchange. Proceed to Disa Avenue and Cape Road intersection.

Motorist are advised to travel with caution and to plan their trips in advance.

Off the beaten track in the Northern Cape – top 6 highlights along the N14

18Nov2015

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Plenty of space, long distances between towns, very few people, warm to hot summer days and cold winter nights, brightest stars ever and, once a year, spectacular flowers. If that sounds enticing, it is time to visit the Northern Cape.

It is the country’s biggest province but has the lowest population. A number of national routes run through it, including the N14, stretching from Springbok to Upington, via Kakamas and ending in Gauteng.

1. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

One can reach most of the provincial tourist highlights, including the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, from these wonderfully maintained highways. The 37,000 km2 stretches across South Africa and Botswana, with plans to link the park to the nearby Augrabies National Park, the Ai-Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Conservation Area, Namibia’s Sperrgebiet National Park, as well as the Namib Naukluft National Park – already one of the largest conservation areas in the world.

That will be really spectacular! A nature conservation area larger than most countries in the world.
Already, the Kgalagadi is known for its space – everything is far away from anything else – and you can feel peace descending on you as you gaze at the red sand dunes, the sparse vegetation, the occasional tree and dry riverbeds, the gemsbok and the black-maned lion.

2. Augrabies Falls

Nearby – in Northern Cape terms, that is – are the Augrabies Falls where the water thunders through a gorge, making you feel small and vulnerable. There are several buck species – from klipspringer to eland – as well as smaller predators such leopards and wildcats, and a rich offering of endemic and indigenous plants.Plus splendid accommodation.

3. Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape

Then there is the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape, which borders on the Ai-Ais Park in Namibia, and encloses the world-famous Fish River Canyon.

The Richterveld’s best-known plants, among the thousands of other species, are the stem succulent (or halfmens) and the giant tree aloe. Plus, of course, antelope, wild cats and rare bird species. It is co-managed by the local Nama communities.

4. Namaqualand

Namaqualand is known for its stunning display of wild flowers, somewhere between July and September, depending on the rain, which becomes a massive carpet of scent and colour stretching to the horizon.

5. Kimberley

The Northern Cape’s provincial capital, Kimberley, has a fascinating history dating back to the country’s early diamond days. And thus, it is home to the Big Hole, probably the biggest man-made one in the world, mined for its deep kimberlite pipes.

6. Sutherland

And then, of course, there is Sutherland, with its vast astronomical observatory. It’s probably too much to do in one trip, so come back again – and again.

Using technology to handle road incidents

18Nov2015

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Even on the safest of roads, incidents will occur – a vehicle will stall in mid-traffic or, worse, a driver will be distracted and bump into the vehicle in front of him. That can cause huge disruptions to traffic, may lead to material losses and even serious injuries.

Essentially, just building an excellent highway is not all a road agency has to do. It also has to manage it, to ensure the safety of road users but also enhance the flow of traffic.

SANRAL does this through the Central Operations Centre at Samrand along the N1 between Johannesburg and Pretoria. It is the operational nerve centre of the e-toll system for the roads agency. It is from here that the Gauteng Freeway Management System (FMS) is operated.

It uses high definition cameras which are all linked to this command centre. They monitor the country’s first multi-lane free-flow toll system. The system is managed by Electronic Toll Collection (ETC), providing road users with a smoother and safer journey, and is an important contributor to keeping South Africa’s economic hub moving.

Improved lighting, real-time signage and management of the traffic flows are elements in enhancing road safety while making the N1 between Johannesburg and Pretoria user-friendly due to instant information being available to road users.

Traffic flow monitoring also highlights immediately where a road incident or accident is occurring, or has just occurred, and activates SANRAL’s on-road services – providing medical responses and towing services while reducing the impact of incidents on the flow of traffic.

These services are decentralised at strategic positions across the road network to allow for a rapid response to incidents. The services are operated 24 hours per day, seven days a week. Information about traffic conditions is also available via twitter (@itrafficgp).

There are also freeway management systems in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
So, when you’re on the road, for business or leisure, keep an eye out for the traffic messages that may just make your trip easier.

How We Grew with SANRAL

18Nov2015

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Developing and expanding small, medium and business enterprises lies at the heart of how the government sees job creation in the country. SANRAL has, over many years, been deeply involved in doing exactly that.

Essentially the roads agency uses as much local labour as possible, assists small businesses, is involved in skills training and always leaves a solid footprint behind it when a specific project is completed. Developing Africa Consulting CC, owned by Nico Kruger, is an SMME that has benefited from SANRAL’s work packages.

Nico currently recruits 50 employees to assist with road construction projects. Among its primary tasks is the development of efficient drainage systems.

Nico has only positive remarks about his relationship with the agency:

“SANRAL has developed us as a company by equipping our team with essential skills and training, resulting in us being considered for additional pipeline projects.

SANRAL has been good to us. My staff was provided with transport to the work site, given valuable lessons on safety as well as information on quantity surveying relating to construction costs and contracts. This has improved our understanding of the various facets of the construction industry.”

Nico says his company’s participation in the projects have given his company and staff a steady income.

“I thank SANRAL for the positive growth of my company. Working on SANRAL projects has given my business strategy and greater clarity.”

Since the company started to work on SANRAL projects it has experienced considerable growth and a constant workflow. He was able to create new jobs by hiring new permanent staff. He now has a dedicated safety officer on board and five team leaders who can successfully execute contracts on their own.

Lindelwa Madyibi says the roads agency has enabled her to grow her emerging civil engineering firm and pursue her goal of turning it into one of the largest black female- owned companies in the field.
Lindelwa is the owner of Yavela Yona Trading Enterprise, a civil engineering firm based in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape which has been involved in the construction of houses, schools and roads since 2005.

With a staff complement of 10 people, her company was subcontracted by SANRAL to help develop the N2 national route between rural Viedgesville and Sithebe. The company’s scope of work involved stone pitching – a technique to interlock large stones to create small irregular steps that blend into the landscape.

Other activities included the construction of walkways and gabions, which are typically wire-mesh baskets compactly filled with rocks and carefully wired together to stabilize steep slopes and prevent erosion.

“Thanks to SANRAL, we are now able to perform a variety of tasks. The four months of training that the agency offered us provided tremendous support, not to mention an essential learning curve for the team.

We were taught how to calculate construction material quantities, develop work plans and how to read and interpret construction drawings. My company has benefited from the training which we continue to apply in our day-to- day work.”

She is grateful for her company’s exposure in the construction industry and the mentorship provided.
Lindelwa says she will not lose sight of her goal to build one of the largest and most prominent black female-owned civil engineering companies in the country.

As this was her first project with SANRAL, she hopes to grow with the agency and continue to build her company’s credibility on future projects. She now has the capacity to offer other SMMEs the opportunity to join her company as a stepping stone to gain valuable knowledge and exposure in the challenging construction industry.

With the confidence placed in her company by SANRAL she is now ready to deliver on large-scale projects as a primary contractor.

Investing in people: Growing new engineers

18Nov2015

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SANRAL is one of the biggest investors in people and skills development in Limpopo and other provinces, offering scholarships, bursaries and internship opportunities to hundreds of students. Here are the stories of some of the beneficiaries.

Jansen

Jansen was born and raised in Bela-Bela, previously known as Warmbaths. He grew up having a huge interest in computers and spent a lot of time working on them and games.

“I was also very interested in computers and science – to know how everything in the universe worked. In addition, I also enjoyed playing Rugby and cricket in school.”

Jansen is currently a third-year electronic engineering student at the University of Pretoria, where he is further pursuing his interest in computers, technology and science.

John

When John, who hails from the remote village of Maroteng in Limpopo wrote his matric in 2010, he had no idea then that he would end up studying Civil Engineering at the University of Cape Town.

“When I applied to study Civil Engineering at UCT, I honestly didn’t know much about the profession.

Information regarding the SANRAL bursary scheme reached me when I was in my final year of high school. My science teacher came to school one day with about 11 hard-copy bursary application forms and handed them out to us. I applied and the rest is history!”

John has also been awarded the opportunity to work on the N7 upgrade near Malmesbury to gain practical experience. He says he is hoping to learn as much as he can from SANRAL, the work that we do and the contribution we are making to the development of the country’s road infrastructure.

“I will be the first member of my family to attain a higher education qualification. Also many people from my community are looking up to me.”

Phuluphedziso

Phulu, as he is known, did not enter the construction engineering field by accident. Growing up in Mphagane Village in the Vhembe district, he became interested in engineering at a very young age.

Phulu was mostly interested in the construction of roads, bridges, and high-rise buildings.

“I was a very practical person and used to enjoy things like building models and drawing plans. This ultimately stimulated my interest in the construction environment.”

When he was in grade 12, Phulu applied for a SANRAL bursary and was was awarded to him. Today Phulu is a proud third-year student at the University of the Witswaterstrandstudying BSc in construction science. His immediate plan is to complete his degree.

“My long-term career plan is to further my studies in Project Construction Management. I would also like to gain lots of experience in this field.

Thanks to SANRAL for having given me this opportunity.”

Off the beaten track in Limpopo – top 5 highlights off the N1

18Nov2015

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Taking the N1 through Limpopo up to the Zimbabwean border is a long drive and there’s not much to do or see along it. That’s if you’re in a hurry along this stretch of the national route which runs right through South Africa – from Cape Town to Beit Bridge, the border separating South Africa from Zimbabwe.

Should you take time and turn it into a proper road-trip, a delightful part of the country will open its welcoming arms to you. From hot mineral springs to the vast gorge in the Blyde River, the spectacular viewing from Wyllie’s Poort to game farm after game farm – there is actually a great deal to do and see.

You could, of course, miss most of the towns alongside the N1, if you didn’t know what to look out for – Bela-Bela (formerly Warmbad), Modimolle (Nylstroom), Mookgophong (Naboomspruit), Mokopane (Potgietersrus), Polokwane (Pietersburg), Makhado (Louis Trichardt) and Musina (Messina): new names for old towns.

Don’t be in such a hurry. There is excellent and plentiful accommodation all along the various routes leading away from the N1. Staying over can be an actual pleasure in of itself.

1. Bela-Bela

Just about a hundred kilometres north of Pretoria, Bela-Bela lies just off the N1. It houses some of the best known and popular hot springs in the country. Used for centuries by elephant and buffalo, but also the local human population, it became a state entity in 1873. It is now visited by 250 000 people a year. Consider booking ahead of time, just to be on the safe side.

2. Marakele National Park.

You could also drive on to Thabazimbi on the R516 and visit the Marakele National Park. You’ll be able to view the Big Five and the largest colony of the endangered Cape Vultures in the world plus a wide variety of buck and bird. The roads are excellent and the accommodation affordable.

3. Nylsvley Nature Reserve

Back to the N1 and then off again to have a look at the Nylsvley Nature Reserve near Modimolle, the place to visit if you’re a serious birder. If not, go anyway – there are up to 80 000 birds, there, at the same time. Not surprising, as the 4 000 hectare reserve has around 370 bird species.

You can then go back to the N1 via the nearby Mookgophong which also offers some hot springs which surface around the nearby Waterberg. Then on to Mokopane which probably has the best aloe display in the country – some 4 000 plants, a forest of colour in mid-winter when they flower.

4. Blyde River Canyon

Next is the provincial capital Polokwane – no longer a town but a bustling city, the commercial capital of the north where cattle ranches abound nearby, with a university on its outskirts as well as 2 000 hectare nature reserve and recreation park. It is also the gateway to the northern part of the Kruger National Park.

You’ll get there via the spectacular Magoebaskloof with its winding road, indigenous forests and fly-fishing, and then through Phalaborwa. You ought really to take some time and go south to experience the Blyde River Canyon and its majestic 26 km gorge.

Again back to the N1 and Makhado with its famous Soutpansberg Hiking Trail. You can also head due east through great scenery to get to the Punda Milia gate, the northern most entry to the Kruger.

Then from the town itself it is upwards along the steep Soutpansberg and its remarkable Wyllie’s Poort – two tunnels to take you through the mountain with some great views from the top, looking south even beyond Makhado.

Oh, not often thought of, but there are examples of San rock art in the region.

5. Mapungubwe

Then it is the land of the baobab and the mopane trees. Near the last town of Musina is a must: the remarkable archaeological heritage site of Mapungubwe, dating back to around 1200 AD – a world heritage site, described as the centre of the largest kingdom in the sub-continent before it was abandoned in the 14th century.

Then it is Beit Bridge, recently upgraded and modernised – once you’re on it, that’s the end of the N1. Think about it for a moment: almost 2 000 km of the best road in the world stretches away from you to the southern-most tip of the continent!

Discover the North West province and its charms on world-class roads

17Nov2015

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The North West province has so much to offer. With four major routes running through it and bordering Botswana, the magic of the North West province cannot be experienced in a single trip, it is just too big.

Experience the North West province by travelling on 4 major numbered roads, N4, N12, N14 and the N1. But these are not the only world-class routes to take through the province.

In 2012, SANRAL took over 1 352km of provincial roads and upgraded them at a cost of a billion rand.
Known as the Platinum province, the province thrives on it mining, agriculture and tourism sectors and is the former homeland Bophuthatswana

There is much to do in the North West – gambling at a pleasure resort, boating on lovely big dams, two major game reserves and a historical city.

Here are our top 5 destinations in the charming North West province:

• Mahikeng – the capital
The city became known worldwide after the Boer War broke out and the Boer forces besieged the city for 217 days.

The African National Congress wrote his literary masterpiece: The Boer War Diary of Sol T Plaatje: an African at Mafikeng.
The city still has many historical buildings but now also recognises the history and role of its black citizens. It houses a campus of the Northwest University.

• Madikwe Game Reserve
On the Botswana border, the game reserve is home to the Big Five as part of its 66 large mammals and 300 bird species.
The reserves vast plains of woodlands, grasslands and excellent accommodation, makes it one of South Africa’s perfect getaway spots.

• Pilanesberg Game Reserve
This game reserve is unique as it is set in an ancient volcanic crater and supports a wide variety of animals, birds and plants. And, again, the Big Five, plus wild dogs and the brown hyena.

• Sun City
Sun City is internationally known for its gambling, Gary Player Golf Course, adventure sports and safari options, rides and games for the children, sitting poolside at the Valley of the Waves, revues and live music shows – an experience of a different kind.

• Hartebeespoort Dam
Sometimes known as Harties, the dam has a shoreline of 56km, offering a wide variety of things- to do. To name some: all water sports, air ballooning, hikes and rambles. It nestles against the picturesque Magaliesberg Mountains.

Blasting on the R72 between Port Alfred and Fish River

13Nov2015

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SANRAL would like to notify road users of travel delays on the R72, between Port Alfred and Fish River, due to blasting at the Shaw Park quarry, which will commence from 15h30 on Monday 16 November 2015. The road will be closed and motorists can expect a delay of approximately 15 to 30 minutes.

The Shaw Park quarry is situated next to the R72, near the intersection of the R72 with the gravel road leading to Shaw Park. The quarry extends from the SANRAL kilometre markers 20,800 to 21,200. Motorists are requested to plan their trips accordingly and be cautious when making use of the road, and comply with the directions of safety personnel.