Automated tag payment is an additional toll payment method for motorists who have SANRAL tags fitted in their vehicles.
Trans African Concessions (TRAC) has commenced rolling out the automated tag payment system on the N4 toll route.
The initiative will be rolled out in phases, with a pilot phase for selected tag holders that started during January 2017.
All the South African-based plazas on the TRAC N4 toll route, which runs from the Solomon Mahlangu offramp to the Port of Maputo in Mozambique, will participate in the initial implementation phase until February 28.
Automated tag payment is an additional toll payment method for motorists who have SANRAL tags fitted in their vehicles.
However, there are currently no dedicated lanes for electronic tag payments and all existing payment methods will continue to be accepted at TRAC’s South African-based plazas, with all lanes continuing to be manned by toll collectors.
Other payment options available on the TRAC N4 toll road are as follows:
Class 2 to 4 – Cash, fleet card, TRAC concession card
Debit cards, Diners Club, American Express and all other International Cards are NOT accepted methods of payment for any class of vehicle on the N4 Toll Route.
The automated Tag payment pilot phase is effective at the following mainline and ramp plazas on the N4 Toll Route:
Diamond Hill Mainline Plaza
Middelburg Mainline Plaza
Machado Mainline Plaza
Nkomazi Mainline Plaza
Donkerhoek Ramp
Cullinan Ramp
Valtaki Ramp
Ekandustria Ramp
For more information on the automated tag payment system visit www.nra.co.za or contact the SANRAL Call Centre on 0800-726 -25. TRAC 24-hour helpdesk via email at helpdesk@tracn4.co.za or on 0800-87-22-64.
The road will be repaired where required. It will be resurfaced with new road markings and road studs installed.
A multimillion-rand resurfacing project by the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has commenced in the Eastern Cape.
The R226-million road resurfacing project of the R67 between Grahamstown and Fort Beaufort is set to be complete by October 2018.
The length of road to be resurfaced is about 70.7 kilometres, extending northwards from the intersection to the N2 near Grahamstown to the intersection with the R63 at Fort Beaufort.
SANRAL Southern Region manager Mbulelo Peterson said: “This road provides a regional link between various smaller towns in the middle part of the Eastern Cape.
“SANRAL has already appointed a contractor to repair, patch and resurface.”
The road will be repaired where required. It will be resurfaced with new road markings and road studs installed.
Peterson added that the works are located within the boundaries of two district municipalities – including Dr Beyers Naude (previously known as Sarah Baartman) and Amathole, and in the local municipalities of Makana and Raymond Mhlaba (previously known as Nkonkobe).
“The roadworks comprise of proactive preventative maintenance and would include, but would not be limited to, the accommodation of traffic; excavation; shaping and trimming of drainage; pavement repairing, pre-treatment and texture slurry; double seal resurfacing; ancillary works and surfacing of existing shoulders,” said Peterson.
Motorists are advised to observe and obey warning signs and reduce speed limits while exercising extreme caution when travelling through the construction work zones. Meanwhile, SANRAL is appealing for patience by road users as it improves the road condition.
The bridge has opened the pathway to economic activity for the Pacaltsdorp community to easily access job opportunities in George.
A small town in the Western Cape, Pacaltsdorp, now has an internationally recognised bridge which is beneficial to the community.
In the apartheid era, it was the “coloured township” associated with George but administrated independently. The N2 highway provided the natural boundary between the two, enforced by a curfew.
The bridge has opened the pathway to economic activity for the Pacaltsdorp community to easily access job opportunities in George.
The pedestrian bridge and interchange at Pacaltsdorp on the N2 is an exceptional example of a successful partnership between three public institutions – SANRAL, the Western Cape Government and the George Municipality – working to benefit the citizens of South Africa.
The design
Designed using innovative technology with a sophisticated self-anchored stress-ribbon arch bridge structure required highly-skilled structural carpenters and left little room for construction error.
The 65 metre-long continuous four-span self-anchored footbridge enables pedestrians from the Pacaltsdorp township access to work opportunities in George and surrounds. For the team it was a challenge to create a design that attracted pedestrians towards the bridge, and away from the highway.
The building of the pedestrian bridge to accommodate the community of Pacaltsdorp is a positive step towards the George council’s priority of actively improving pedestrian safety along the N2.
The awards
Late last year at the annual South African Institution of Civil Engineering Awards gala event for the Most Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievements for 2015/2016, it was announced that the bridge had won the Vital Engineering 2016 Award for Structural Engineering.
The prestigious event was attended by industry leaders and dignitaries from across South Africa.
The awards recognise international and technical excellence among individuals and projects, as well as community-based projects. Furthermore, it recognises well-engineered civil projects which find answers to challenging problems.
The team behind this unique structure were SMEC South Africa, COA Architecture & Design and Civils 2000.
The professional team behind the architectural design of Pacaltsdorp Bridge, Craft of Architecture (COA), were thrilled to receive the news.
John van Wyk from COA said: “We are delighted with this award. The bridge engineer specialist from SMEC, John Anderson, envisioned the original ribbon concept which we embraced and is evident in the structure and detailing. It was a pleasure to work with the team and to have this project recognised”.
The project also included the construction of an earth catch water bank at the summit of the slope to prevent overland flow from the top running down the face.
The South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) has saved Africa’s automotive manufacturing capital from power blackouts with an R80-million slope stabilisation engineering project in Nelson Mandela Bay.
The instability of the R75 on-ramp into Uitenhage was undermining the structural integrity of pylons carrying overhead electrical cables supplying large areas of Uitenhage with power. It has been a source of concern for authorities and industry since 2012.
The R75 was declared a national route in 2011 and was being investigated by SANRAL when the failure occurred.
Michelle Ah Shene, SANRAL’s communications officer in Port Elizabeth, said: “Sloughing or erosion problems [of the slope] began in the mid-1980s mainly due to the lack of maintenance. This, in turn, allowed moisture to seep into the slope. Previous methods of stabilisation were not effective as they only dealt with close to surface water or moisture contained within the slope.”
The project created 216 employment opportunities for 13 SMME’s over a 15 month contract period. SMME training in tendering and pricing; safety, health and environment aspects; concrete skills, and first aid was also provided.
Shene added that every time instability occurred, the failure zone encroached on these pylons, undermining the stability of the foundations.
Slope stabilisation
Extensive slope landmass movements were triggered by heavy rains during October 2012 in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro.
The rains created a 50m wide and 300m long slip along the R75 on-ramp, resulting in the movement of soil to the lower parts of the slope along the failure zone, further exasperating the risk of damage to the cables and a potential power blackout of Uitenhage.
The slope stabilisation programme included the excavation of 112 000 cubic metres of soil, the construction of 5 700 cubic metres of gabions in three continuous walls along the R75 on-ramp inclusive of grouted soil nails, construction drains at the top of the walls, and the installation drains for storm water run-off down the slope to the existing drainage system.
The project also included the construction of an earth catch water bank at the summit of the slope to prevent overland flow from the top running down the face.
Challenges experienced
SANRAL met and overcame two engineering challenges on the project.
The first encountered was the excavated face beneath the southern pylon. If it was completely excavated to its full height it would have been approximately 10m high.
“When it had been partly excavated some six to seven metres, it was prudent to install a system of temporary grouted soil nails plus geotextile and steel mesh to prevent the slope from collapsing,” said said Shene. “Had the temporary measures not been installed there would have been a danger of the collapse, endangering the lives of any person working below and could have, quite possibly, brought about the collapse of the electricity pylon standing at the top of the face.”
The second challenge occured during construction where the excavations opened up the face of the cut slope therefore exposing a geological fault in the material with considerable amounts of groundwater seepage from the fault.
Shene said: “The fault could lead to further sloughing of the existing cut face onto the R75 on-ramp. Additional stabilisation works in the form of gabions, soil nails, slope rehabilitation measures (top soiling and grassing) and trapezoidal drains were authorised.
“Geotechnical engineering is one of the fastest growing fields of engineering, albeit a relatively young one. Many pioneers within the field have carved a path for those that follow to help fill in the gaps in our knowledge of the fascinating world that lies beneath the earth’s surface.”
Shene further explained that most engineering projects deal with near surface challenges and solutions are effectively engineered, whereas slope stabilisation projects deal with more unknown challenges.
Driving lessons at high school to become part of the curriculum.
Learner drivers will be given an opportunity to develop and enhance their skills to become good and safe drivers through a programme by The Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA).
The Minister of Transport, Dipuo Peters, announced this at Soshanguve East Secondary School during a hand over of the Torch of Peace to Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga.
The Minister said her department will be working with the Department of Basic Education to include driving lessons at high school as part of the curriculum.
Peters said: “We have the partnership with the Department of Basic Education to ensure the inclusion of road safety in the curriculum and the training of teachers. This essentially entails different aspects of road safety awareness which are intended to adequately skill new drivers.”
Peters said a driving simulator programme will be implemented during the 2017/18 financial year. “Part of the long term initiative to establish and enhance road safety relates to the [education] of our drivers, particularly those who will be acquiring licenses for the first time.”
The Department of Transport is in the process of finalising the Graduated Driving License framework.
Recent statistics
The recently announced festive season road crash and fatalities statistics indicated a 5% increase from the 2016 figures.
The total number of road crash fatalities recorded between 1 December 2016 and 9 January 2017 stands at 1714. Human factor has been the leading cause of crashes at 79.1%.
Peters said: “I have no doubt that road safety education that starts at an early age should be one of the core focus areas in assisting us to turn the tide.
“Formal education and training will remain important but we must also broaden our minds and find ways to include road safety messages into the wider curriculum, into mathematics and science, geography and civic education.”
The Department of Transport is also in discussion with the Department of Health to deploy blood analysts, district surgeons, registered nurses or medical officers during law enforcement operations in order to take a specimen of an arrested driver’s blood on site for immediate scientific analysis.
“The analysis will enable an expert to ascertain the presence and estimated quantity of alcohol in the person’s blood at the time of the examination,” said Peters.
Bridges have fascinated people through the centuries; their purpose is self-evident as being the link between transportation routes be they footpaths, railways or roads. Although its primary purpose is functional and it must be safe to use, a bridge can be a thing of beauty.
Some of the world’s bridges have become tourist attractions in their own right; the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia and Millau Viaduct in France are just a few examples. People are especially fascinated by large bridges.
Of South Africa’s 750 000km of highway, some 22 000 falls under the jurisdiction of the South African National Roads Agency, SANRAL, which includes approximately 9 500 bridges and major culverts.
Two spectacular bridges on the new N2 Wild Coast Highway – the Msikaba River Bridge and the Mtentu River Bridge –– are about to be added. The first steps towards making this a reality were taken recently in inviting tenders for the two bridges. Apart from making a major contribution to transport infrastructure and to the well-being of the people who live along the new Greenfields portion of N2 which is about 113km in length, the bridges will be true landmarks of international note. In searching for safe and economical designs Sanral has also driven the need for aesthetic designs that will act as positive landmarks for the new highway. It is our view that this aim was achieved in that a good balance was struck between economy and aesthetics in the final solutions that were adopted.
The designs of the bridges are complete and tenders have been invited. Due to the size and complexity of the two bridges, the tender process will only be completed early in 2017 and construction is programmed to begin in the middle of 2017.
The Msikaba River Bridge will be 580m single span cable-stayed bridge. The bridge is a unique spectacular structure that crosses a deep forested gorge which is flanked on each side with high sandstone cliffs. At no stage will work be done in the gorge and the deck will be cantilevered out from the banks using conventional construction techniques. The bridge is 190m above the river and the bridge erection team will undoubtedly presented with some challenging weather conditions. The deck is a composite steel and concrete deck of overall width of 22.8m. Four traffic lanes with narrow shoulders are provided for and two 1.4m wide pedestrian footway. This bridge will be the largest span cable-stayed bridge in South Africa.
Some 18km north of the Msikaba River is the proposed Mtentu River Bridge. The deck of this bridge is some 220m above the river and it will be a 1 132m-long concrete structure with a balanced cantilever main span of 260m with depth of deck varying from 15m at the piers to 5m at the centre. The approach spans of the bridge will be incrementally launched and consist of 66m-long spans with a constant depth of 5m. The two piers supporting the balanced cantilever portion of the deck will be 154m high and the bridge will be a wholly prestressed concrete bridge with an overall width of 20.1m. Four traffic lanes with narrow shoulders will be provided and two 1.4m-wide pedestrian footways. This bridge will be one of only a few such large concrete balanced cantilever bridges with spans of 260m or more in the world.
The bridges and the overall highway project will be a catalyst for local development, bringing direct and indirect business opportunities, boosting small and medium enterprises while connecting local communities with each other as well as bigger towns along the road. It will also make the Wild Coast tourist attractions more accessible.
Both structures with their clean, functional lines are also expected to become tourist attractions and will be complemented by the natural beauty of the area. Visitors who stop to view the bridges will also see the natural beauty of the valleys they cross. Pedestrian walkways with safety screens will be provided along both sides of each bridge and they will be fully accessible to allow everyone to view the magnificent valleys from the bridges. In addition viewing sites will be built nearby so that the public can view the bridges and admire the natural beauty of their settings.
As with all Sanral bridges, safety, aesthetic and environmental issues play a major role in the planning, the design phases and the future construction phases of the Msikaba and Mtentu bridges. This will be the case for all the highways and bridges on the Wild Coast Highway, where the protection of the environment has featured strongly.
The future inspection and maintenance of the bridges will be incorporated in the overall bridge inspection routine at Sanral. Durable concrete has been specified to minimise future maintenance and the design of the bridges followed South African bridge design codes which have their basis in international codes. Where the South African codes do not cover any particular aspect of design, international codes are used instead.
The construction of these two new bridges and the Greenfields section of the highway will bring economic benefits to the Eastern Cape as well as the transport benefits from reducing the travel distance between the major cities of Durban and East London by 75km. This will bring benefits to the local economy as well as the national economy and major tourist destinations will be more easily accessible.
Written by Edwin Kruger, the bridge network manager of the South African National Roads Agency Limited.
Reclassifying drunk driving as a schedule 5 offence means it will be in the same category as rape and murder.
With the road death toll up by 5% over the festive season, the Department of Transport will seek to reclassify drunken driving as a schedule 5 offence.
Road deaths were announced on 10 January 2017 by Minister of Transport, Dipuo Peters, and it was revealed 1 714 people were killed in road crashes during the period 1 December to 9 January.
Reclassifying drunk driving as a schedule 5 offence means it will be in the same category as rape and murder.
Peters said: “Ladies and Gentlemen, we have come from one of the most challenging festive seasons which stretched our resources to the limit, which also put a strain on our law enforcement operations and unleashed untold misery on many families. However we remained unrelenting and resolute through it all and we prevailed against all the odds.
“It is also important to note that the festive season road safety programme is not implemented in isolation, but forms part of an ongoing 365-day programme that the Department of Transport and its agencies in conjunction with our transport stakeholders and the general public carry out throughout the year to ensure that lives are saved.”
Although the death toll rose by 5%, a significant amount of financial resources were invested to promote awareness, intensify enforcement and up-scale general visibility. Public Education and Awareness campaigns were launched and some are still running across different media platforms, including radio, television, newspapers and below the line media.
“Strategic partnership with the likes of Engen Petroleum and Trace Urban TV Channel on #Ridewise campaign has gone a long way in planting seeds and inspiring other stakeholders to follow suite,” said Peters.
Road deaths in Limpopo increased 31% year on year, KwaZulu-Natal was up 18% and Free State 17%, while Gauteng and Mpumalanga increased 11% and 9% respectively.
Peters said: “The fact that an overwhelming majority of fatal crashes were as a result of a single motor vehicle overturning and head-on collisions points to the incompetence of our drivers to handle their motor vehicles. This buttresses the point and the aspersion of rampant corruption within our Drivers Licencing Testing Centres (DLTCs), compounded by the voluntary collusion and participation by our road users in their unflinching desire to acquire driver’s licences.
“There is an influx in our roads of drivers who are not competent and qualified to be driving on our roads. Such drivers lack appreciation and comprehension of the importance of roads signs and golden rules of the road.”
Peters added that she has instructed the Road Traffic Management Corporation to undertake an audit of how driving licences as well as roadworthy certificates are processed and issued at our testing stations, so that we can have an appreciation of how it is possible that so many incompetent drivers and un-roadworthy vehicles could be on our roads.
“Equally important is to understand the role played by private testing stations and driving schools in facilitating the issuing of documents to unqualified motorists,” said Peters.
Reflectors will help drivers identify stray animals at night.
The Department of Transport spent over R5-million on reflective animal belts, because stray animals, especially cattle, can cause serious damage to lives and vehicles when they are involved in accidents on the road.
Acting MEC for Transport in Limpopo, William Ntlatla, said they bought reflector belts for animals at a cost in excess of R5 million, however Blouberg cattle owners have failed to make use of the belts.
Ntlatla made this statement during a campaign held at Ga-Machaba village with regard to road safety during the festive season.
According to the department, the campaign serves as a way to engage with Blouberg farmers and give away animal reflective belts and ear rings.
“We urge our communities to work with us and ensure that we do not have stray animals on our roads.” said Ntlatla.
“Stray animals on our roads are a huge concern as we have lost many lives as a result. Together we need to take an active role in dealing with stray animals as it is our collective responsibility. We need to guide our animals away from the roads and let them graze freely far away from our roads.”
Sergeant Pebetsi Kwapa, from the Polokwane Stock Theft Unit, urged herd owners to brand the animals as stock theft statistics continue to rise every day.
“According to the law, an animal which is not branded does not have an owner. Working together in branding our animals can help to reduce the percentage of stock theft,” said Kwapa.
4000 belts distributed during Transport Month
The danger of stray animals also took centre stage during Transport Month in Limpopo.
Provincial Roads and Transport MEC Lehlogonolo Masoga committed to hold meetings with livestock owners, traditional leaders and community members to address the issue.
“Stray animals causing accidents remain a concern on our roads. We will be meeting with communities during our outreach campaigns, where we will address the issue of stray animals extensively,” he said at the time.
MEC of Transport in Limpopo, Mapula Mokaba-Phukwana, distributed 4000 reflective animal neck belts to livestock owners during the launch of Transport Month 2016.
The department has, to date, distributed approximately 150 000 reflective animal neck belts to livestock owners since 2009.
The Pacaltdorp’s pedestrian bridge being constructed.
The South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) plans to spend R139-million on periodic maintenance on 23km of the N2 between Mossel Bay and Great Brak next year.
Furthermore, work on a new bridge over the Gwaing River will commence midyear in 2017 at a cost of R88-million.
This forms part of continuous road maintenance and improvement in the Southern Cape, which SANRAL says will benefit small, medium and micro-enterprises (SMMEs).
Randall Cable, SANRAL’s western region engineering manager, emphasised the road agency’s continuing role in infrastructure development and job creation initiatives in the region when he addressed key government, business and community stakeholders in George recently.
“SMMEs benefit from SANRAL projects as they perform a range of tasks such as routine road maintenance contracts. Contractors, in turn, create much-needed job opportunities in the Southern Cape and along the N2,” said Cable.
Next year will see the start of several more improvements and maintenance to the N2, such as on the 44km stretch between Caledon and Riviersonderend (R429m); 57km between Riviersonderend and Swellendam (R97m); 29km between Heidelberg and Riversdale (R670m); as well as improvement on the Knysna Nekkies intersection (R30m) and the Plettenberg Bay intersection (R80m), to name but a few.
Cable also highlighted the two recently completed projects in the region:
Pedestrian facilities
The purpose-built walkways, which stretch over a distance of about 8km along the N2 between the York Street interchange and the Garden Route Mall in George, are designed to provide safe access for residents of the nearby residential areas of Thembalethu, Pacaltsdorp, Lawaaikamp and Ballotsview along the N2 corridor. The project included the installation of lighting and CCTV cameras.
To ensure that pedestrians do not cross the highway at will, a two metre-high, welded mesh fence was erected along the N2, separating the pathways from the freeway.
During the duration of the contract 170 permanent job opportunities were created.
Widening and new pedestrian bridge
The Pacaltsdorp interchange bridge and approach roads were widened to create additional turning lanes, sidewalks and a traffic median island. The project included the rehabilitation of existing asphalt surfacing, the relocation of traffic signals, the provision of street lighting and the replacement of road markings and road signs.
A new pedestrian bridge that provides a safe point for pedestrians to cross the N2 freeway was also constructed.
George Municipality contributed 10% of the contract value of R82, 5-million and 106 permanent job opportunities were created during the duration of the contract.
Statistics indicate that at least 40 people die daily in South Africa due to road crashes. The high number of crashes can be attributed to various crimes and road traffic offences.
These crimes include: excessive speed, unsafe overtaking, driving under the influence of alcohol and unsafe crossing on the roads by pedestrians.
Minister of Transport Dipuo Peters recently addressed the 2016 Africa Road Safety Summit held under the theme: Halving Road Deaths and injuries by 2020.
She said: “Human beings are fallible and even the most safety-conscious individual will make a mistake or commit an error of judgement that might lead to a crash. Our road management authorities and the construction sector are increasingly taking this into account in the planning, design, building and maintenance of road networks. Best global practices in design and engineering are increasingly being implemented in developing countries and South Africa is, indeed, fortunate to draw on the experience and expertise available at an organisation such as SANRAL – which is widely-respected among its peers in the industry.
“Last month SANRAL hosted the meeting of the World Road Association which brought together the leading thinkers in the fields of planning and design. Local research shows that in the order of 95% of road traffic crashes happens as a direct result of one or more traffic offences.”
These include: human factor (82%), vehicle factors (10%) and, road environment factors (8%).
The severity of fatal crashes in South Africa mainly attributed to:
The speed at which a crash happens – the higher the speed the higher the rate;
The wearing rate of seatbelts, the higher the wearing rate the lower the severity.
Road Safety tips
These road safety tips are courtesy of Arrive Alive, the road safety campaign of the Department of Transport.
These include:
Obey the rules of the road and carry your driver’s license with you.
Plan the route to your holiday destination and allow yourself enough time to reach the destination.
Make sure that your vehicle is in a roadworthy condition before departure. All lights and indicators, windscreens, windscreen wipers, brakes, steering, shock absorbers, exhaust system and tyres should be carefully examined for faults.
Do not overload.
Try to avoid driving after dark if possible.
Have a good rest before you embark on your journey.
Take safety breaks every 2 hours or 200km. Rest, have an energy drink and continue once well rested.
Do not drink and drive.
Try to recognize potentially dangerous drivers on and pedestrians alongside the road and keep well clear of them.
Be visible – drive with your lights on.
Headlights should be dipped well before an approaching vehicle is within the range of the main beam.
Always wear your seat belt and see that everyone in the car is wearing theirs.
Drive defensively.
Stay within the speed limit at all times.
Only overtake when it is absolutely safe to do so.
Maintain at least a 2-second following distance – this distance should be increased at night, in foggy or rainy conditions and when the road is wet.
Expect others to not be as obedient to the law as yourself.
Avoid distractions on the road such as texting, conversations on cellular phones etc.
Be courteous towards fellow road users – keep your temper and resist the temptation to retaliate.
Know your emergency numbers – When you need assistance, kindly call the following numbers: Police – 10111; Fire – 10177; Netcare 911 – 082 911; ER24 – 084 124 and Cell phone emergency – 112
