Blog

RSA Minister of Transport to launch SANRAL ROADS INDABA at WRC 2023 in Prague

sizwesethu.futshaneauthor562views0comments

MEDIA ALERT 

RSA Minister of Transport to launch SANRAL ROADS INDABA at WRC 2023 in Prague

Pretoria, October 2, 2023 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) invites members of the media to XXVIIth World Road Congress 2023 Gala Dinner to be hosted by the Minister of Transport, Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga, on Wednesday, 4 October 2023, at the Hilton Hotel, Pobrežní at 18:00. Minister Chikunga will announce the launch of the inaugural SANRAL ROADS INDABA.

The Minister of Transport, Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga, will be leading the South African delegation to the XXVIIth World Road Congress 2023 (WRC 2023) in Prague, Czech Republic, from 2 – 6 October 2023.

SANRAL, represented by Mr Reginald Demana, as the first delegate for South Africa, represents the interest of the entire South African roads sector.

South Africa, as a member country, continues to contribute to the development and progress of PIARC by promoting it within and outside Africa.

The Minister and the SANRAL CEO will be available for media interviews on-site. 

The details of the launch event are as follows:

Date                : 4 October 2023

Time                : 18:00

Venue              : Hilton Hotel, Pobrežní 311/1, Prague, 186 00, Czech Republic

Members of the media can confirm attendance to:

Siya Khuzwayo            : +27832603555 / siya.khuzwayo@fticonsulting.com

Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga to highlight South Africa’s road infrastructure successes at 27th World Road Congress

sizwesethu.futshaneauthor1343views0comments

MEDIA RELEASE

Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga to highlight South Africa’s road

infrastructure successes at 27th World Road Congress

Prague, 1 October 2023 – Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga will lead a high-powered South African delegation to the 27th World Road Congress in the Czech Republic in October. South African road and transport professionals will showcase the significant progress being made in rebuilding the country’s economy through road infrastructure development projects.

Minister Chikunga will be joined by executives from the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL), including Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr Reginald Demana and board members, who will seek to forge and strengthen collaborative relationships with members of the global transport community.

The conference, being held at the Prague Convention Centre from 2-6 October, is hosted by the Permanent International Association of Road Congresses (PIARC), the global umbrella body formed in 1909 to promote international co-operation on issues related to roads and road transport.

SANRAL became a PIARC member in 1995 and, in 2021, former SANRAL CEO Nazir Alli was elected the world association’s first African president.

At the conference, Minister Chikunga will set out aspects of the country’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan – with particular emphasis on how infrastructure investment, delivery and maintenance is playing a leading role in reviving and growing the economy.

Establishing an expansive and effective road network is critical to the South African government’s economic growth strategy and the minister will relay to delegates how such projects are already having an impact on the economy as well as on communities in both urban and rural areas.

Minister Chikunga will also launch the South African Roads Indaba, scheduled to take place in Cape Town in October 2024.

South Africa’s co-operation with other African countries will also be highlighted at the World Road Congress. In July this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) counterpart, President Felix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on transport-related matters and Minister Chikunga later hosted a DRC delegation in Durban to solidify transport co-operation efforts between the two countries. SANRAL will play a major role in the upgrade of the DRC-Beit Bridge corridor.

As the new CEO, Mr Demana has said he intends to make SANRAL the premier roads agency on the African continent. “To be involved in the upgrade of the DRC-Beit Bridge corridor is a testament and huge expression of confidence in SANRAL’s ability to undertake these massive road and bridge projects,” he said. “The Mount Edgecombe Interchange is an example of the world-class engineering that exist on our continent, which we as SANRAL can share with the rest of our neighbours in Africa,” Demana added.

On the first day of the World Road Congress, Minister Chikunga will participate in a special ministerial panel session on road safety, where she will showcase how safety and sustainable design solutions are prioritised in all SANRAL projects.

Since being appointed to her position in March, the minister has made it clear that arresting the carnage on South Africa’s roads is high on her agenda and, to this end, she will use her platform at the international gathering to explain SANRAL’s Safe Systems approach to road safety. This involves the provision of safe road infrastructure that reduces the risk of serious injury or death when a crash occurs, as well as the implementation of road safety educational and awareness programmes that will lead to changed attitudes and behaviour among all road users.

South Africa has been allocated its own pavilion at the venue, which will enable international delegates to gain greater understanding of the road and bridge projects currently underway in the country.

Senior SANRAL officials will be participating in the Congress and two papers highlighting South Africa’s roads infrastructure renewal programme will also be presented by SANRAL representatives during the week.

The first paper, by SANRAL Northern Region specialist transport engineer Alan Robinson, provides insights on competency training programmes that equip diversified engineering staff with first-principle skills. This programme is designed to offset the loss of experience that occurs when workforce diversification strategies are implemented. It focuses on transport engineering fundamentals and is being developed for both younger and more senior practitioners who are not necessarily transport specialists. Ultimately, the programme is intended to expand current courses to 10 areas of transport planning, from strategic planning and forecasting to autonomous integrated systems and green transport.

The second paper, presented by Northern Region engineer Sisanda Dyubhele, looks at the issue of aggrieved local stakeholders disrupting road construction sites and compromising potential infrastructure investment within the various spheres of government. This paper recommends that road authorities should not only act with more compassion towards workers, but also establish a dedicated task team with board-delegated authority to make policy changes and state clear objectives in obtaining a status of trusteeship with its stakeholders.

The delegation will also introduce international stakeholders to the SANRAL Horizon 2030 Strategy, a proactive response to deliver the national roads agency’s vision for a national transport system to ensure a better South Africa for all.

 

Western Cape Road closures due to flooding

sizwesethu.futshaneauthor22140views0comments

TRAFFIC ADVISORY UPDATE

Western Cape Road closures due to flooding

Western Cape, 27 September 2023 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) would like to update road users on the latest developments related to national road closures and infrastructure damage caused by heavy rainfall and flooding across the Western Cape.

In the interest of mobility, SANRAL recommends the following alternative routes:

Overberg

The N2 section 2 remains closed in Bot River due to a section of the road being washed away when the Bot River recently burst its banks. Elevated water levels continue to impact this section of the road, posing a hazard to motorists.

Road users traveling to Cape Town from east of Swellendam are advised to consider the R60 route through Swellendam, Ashton, and Worcester.

When travelling from Cape Town to Swellendam on the N2, follow the R43 to Stanford (via Hermanus), then from Stanford on the R326 back to the N2 (approximately10 km west of Riviersonderend).  Alternatively, from Cape Town to Swellendam via the N1 and the R60 via Worcester.

Cape Winelands

In De Doorns, the N1 section 3 between Sandhills and Orchard intersections is now open, with a Stop/Go traffic accommodation in place, for single lane traffic.

Emergency services have been deployed extensively across the province, through the Road Incident Management System to provide assistance to road users affected by these closures.

“We want to appeal to road users for extreme caution while driving, as wet conditions persist. Where possible, please avoid travelling in the affected areas,” said Randall Cable, SANRAL Western Region Manager.

Engineering assessments of the damage are being conducted as water levels subside. These assessments will play a vital role in determining the road repair process and establishing timelines for the reopening of these routes.

SANRAL remains committed to keeping the public informed about the progress of road closures and repair efforts. Road users are strongly encouraged to stay updated through official communication on SANRAL’s social media platforms.

SANRAL Board Chairperson Themba Mhambi says court action by major construction companies will not stop policy drive to share multi-billion rand contracts with smaller industry players

sizwesethu.futshaneauthor1746views0comments

MEDIA RELEASE
SANRAL Board Chairperson Themba Mhambi says court action by major construction companies will not stop policy drive to share multi-billion rand contracts with smaller industry players

Note to Editors/Reporters: This is a re-issue of the media release dated Saturday 23 August 2023, now including soundbites for radio (https://we.tl/t-z7OgEYf0Yf) and a photograph of the Board Chairman, Mr Themba Mhambi.

 

Cape Town, 25 September 2023 – The Chairman of the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL), Mr Themba Mhambi, says court action by major construction companies will not deter SANRAL from pursuing real transformation of the sector.
Speaking at an event outside Cape Town on Friday night, the SANRAL Chairman said South Africa’s biggest construction companies had long benefitted from multi-billion-rand tenders and it was time for them to share with small- and medium-sized industry players.
Mr Mhambi says SANRAL, contrary to media reports, does not want to destroy the major construction companies but will support and strengthen them while also pushing them to transform.

“We are going to damage SANRAL if we destroy the big construction companies we have in South Africa, like WBHO, Murray and Roberts, Haw and Inglis (H&I), and so on. If we destroy them, we will be destroying SANRAL and South Africa,” said Mr Mhambi.
“Therefore, don’t believe all the lies that are told that we want to kill these construction companies. We don’t want to do that. We want to support them, we want to strengthen them to get more business but there is one condition. That condition is that they must understand that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white,” said Mr Mhambi.

Mr Mhambi stressed that it is time for black South Africans – Africans, Indians and Coloureds – who had previously been excluded from benefitting from massive infrastructure projects to benefit alongside the well-established industry players.

“Those people who have in the past been excluded from benefitting from road construction, bridge building, pavements, manufacturing of guard rails, the production of asphalt – those who have been excluded from benefitting from all those things – must now benefit as well. That is the condition. And that condition does not come from anywhere other than the Constitution of SA.”
Mr Mhambi’s remarks come after some of the country’s biggest construction companies sought court interdicts against SANRAL to stop new construction tenders from being issued using the roads agency’s new Preferential Procurement Policy (PPP), which requires big companies to share significant portions of the work with smaller players.

“When these millionaire and billionaire companies say to us ‘we are going to take you to court SANRAL because you are depriving us of the millions and billions that we are making alone’ I understand what they are saying, because you can’t be a millionaire or billionaire by sharing. They are going to resist sharing.”

Mr Mhambi was speaking at an event in Franschhoek, outside Cape Town, on Friday night to celebrate SANRAL’s 25th anniversary. SANRAL is an entity of the National Department of Transport and is mandated with the management, maintenance and development of South Africa’s proclaimed national road network.

Western Cape road closures due to flooding

sizwesethu.futshaneauthor1404views0comments

TRAFFIC ADVISORY
Western Cape road closures due to flooding

Western Cape, 25 September 2023 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) wishes to inform road users of various road closures caused by heavy rainfall and excessive flooding.

In the Overberg, the N2 section 2 is closed in Bot River, where a section of the pavement was washed away in the early hours of this morning when the Bot River burst its banks, causing high levels of water to flow over the road.
The following alternative routes could be considered.
To Cape Town: take the R43 via Hermanus to Bot River or the R60 and R62 Swellendam – Ashton – Worcester route, which comes with a detour of at least 130km.

To Swellendam: take off-ramp R43 (Exit 92) to Caledon via Hermanus. Via Villiersdorp, take the turn-off to Franschhoek pass and the Stanford turn-off.

In the Cape Winelands District, in De Doorns, the N1 section 3 is closed between Sandhills and Orchard intersections, as heavy rains continue to fall, with more rain expected today.

All emergency services have been deployed through the Road Incident Management System (RIMS) and are on hand to assist road users who find themselves in affected areas.

“SANRAL would like to appeal to road users to proceed with absolute caution in these extremely wet road conditions and to avoid travelling in the affected areas altogether, if possible,” said Keenan Walbrugh, SANRAL Project Manager.
Once the water levels subside, an engineering assessment of the damage can be done, in order to inform the road repair process and timelines.
SANRAL will keep road users updated of progress on the matter.

Road closure along R61 near Mthatha

sizwesethu.futshaneauthor1418views0comments

TRAFFIC ADVISORY

Road closure along R61 near Mthatha

Eastern Cape, 22 September 2023: The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) is notifying travellers that the R61 near Efata School for the Blind and Deaf in Mthatha will be closed on Sunday, 24 September 2023, for approximately three hours, from 10am until 1pm.

The closure will be approximately 7km west of Mthatha CBD towards Ngcobo Town.

“The road will be closed to allow lifting and loading of the bridge deck onto the lowbed. The lifting will take place from 10am until 1pm on the same day. The lowbed will then transport the bridge deck to the designated laydown area where all the repairs will take place,” explained Mbulelo Peterson, SANRAL’s Southern Regional Manager.

Temporary information sign boards and all other speed limiting temporary signs for the closure will be placed along the construction zone.

The contractor’s traffic safety officer will be present for the full duration of this activity. Flag personnel will be placed in various locations along the R61 only.

Light vehicles will be allowed through the Efata Village, while heavy vehicles will be required to use the N2 to Idutywa Town and the R408 to access Ngcobo Town on the R61.

“Motorists are requested to plan their trips accordingly, consider alternative routes and use caution when making use of the roads,” said Peterson.

SANRAL apologises for any inconvenience caused.

 

UPDATED: TRAFFIC ADVISORY NEW DATES FOR LYNNFIELD BRIDGE DECK DEMOLITION AND ROAD CLOSURE OF R103

sizwesethu.futshaneauthor12464views0comments

UPDATED: TRAFFIC ADVISORY
NEW DATES FOR LYNNFIELD BRIDGE DECK DEMOLITION AND ROAD CLOSURE OF R103

Pietermaritzburg, 20 September 2023 – The R103 will be closed on the nights of 23, 24 and 25 September 2023, between the hours of 8pm to 5am, and not from 20 September 2023 as earlier indicated, to facilitate the demolition of Lynnfield bridge on the N3, the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has announced.

“Intermittent full closures will take place at Lynnfield Park interchange with both the R103 West bound and East Bound traffic being unable to cross under the Lynnfield Bridge during said times. The closures are due to the demolition of half of the Lynnfield bridge on the N3 Durban bound as part of the N3 construction process. The traffic accommodation team, with the assistance of the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI), will manage and monitor the diversion of traffic during both sessions,” said Jason Lowe, SANRAL’s Eastern Region Project Manager.

The intermittent full road closures are proposed to take place as follows:

23 Sept 2023

20h00 to 20h30 – Close R103 and proceed to break the bridge structure

20h30 to 00h00 – Continue breaking the concrete structure

24 Sept 2023

00h00 to 04h30 – Complete breaking
04h30 to 05h00 – Clean and reopen R103 allowing for traffic to flow

24 Sept 2023

20h00 to 20h30 – Close R103 and proceed to break the bridge structure 20h30 to 00h00 – Continue breaking the concrete structure

25 Sept 2023

00h00 to 04h30 – Complete breaking
04h30 to 05h00 – Clean and reopen R103 allowing for traffic to flow

The available alternative routes available to traffic are:

1. N3 North Bound traffic to use Umlaas Road interchange offramp to access Lion Park and Camperdown.

2. N3 South Bound traffic to use Ashburton interchange to access Lynnfield Park and the Ibhubesi industrial park.

The closure may need to be adjusted depending on weather conditions on the day. SANRAL will keep the travelling public updated on progress and changes to the above through further media statements.

“SANRAL wishes to apologise to the motoring public for any inconvenience caused during the road closure. This is an unavoidable consequence of the road improvements. Attempts have been made to minimise disturbances as far as possible and closures have been restricted to hours when traffic is at its lowest level,” said Lowe.

Motorists are urged to be patient while driving through the alternative routes, to plan and adjust their

route trips ahead of time and to adhere to signage and speed limits.

 

NCOP members laud quality of SANRAL’s roads infrastructure and its impact on communities

sizwesethu.futshaneauthor1012views0comments

NCOP members laud quality of SANRAL’s roads infrastructure and its impact on communities

16 September 2023 – Members of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) have undertaken oversight visits to various South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) projects throughout the country and have expressed their satisfaction at the progress on the projects and the involvement of community groups.

The NCOP members undertook a Provincial Week programme to assess the state of government infrastructure throughout the provinces. Roads, as one of the key economic infrastructures of the country, featured dominantly on the programme, with various road infrastructure projects visited by the NCOP.

In the Eastern Cape, the road network under the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) that was of interest to the NCOP included the flagship N2 Wild Coast Road, the R61 section between Bambisana and Lusikisiki, the R336 from Kirkwood to Addo and the N2 between the Gamtoos River and the Van Stadens River.

Speaking on the sidelines of the NCOP oversight visit at the Msikaba Bridge, SANRAL CEO, Reginald Demana, welcomed the Provincial Week programme and oversight visits to SANRAL road infrastructure projects.

“I attended the Msikaba Bridge oversight visit as this is our flagship project in the Southern Region and this was an opportunity to showcase the work that is going into construction of this iconic bridge,” said Demana regarding the R1.72-billion Msikaba Bridge that is currently under construction. The 580m span, 195m high, cable-stay bridge is anticipated to be completed at the end of February 2025.

“Notably, this NCOP visit comes a day after this bridge was featured on an international National Geographic engineering series called Building Impossible with Daniel Ashville, demonstrating the world class engineering excellence that is entailed in this infrastructure,” said Demana. To date, over R80-million in wages has been paid to targeted labour and over 2 750 full-time equivalent jobs have been created on the Msikaba Bridge contract.

Leading the NCOP delegation to the SANRAL projects in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality and the Sarah Baartman District Municipality (R336 and N2 Gamtoos), Honourable Zolani Mkiva said: “This oversight visit is geared at making development more transparent and more visible. The NCOP is empowered by law to intervene where there are service delivery blockages.”

“We are satisfied with the work SANRAL is doing in this area. We appreciate the reports we have received in terms of participation of designated groups in these projects, especially women. We understand that there are some gaps that need closing, especially participation by military veterans and people with disabilities, and we want to see these being addressed in line with government’s transformation agenda,” said Mkiva.

The training programme currently underway to capacitate around 100 beneficiaries on the N2 Gamtoos River to Van Stadens River project was received well as it would ensure skills development within the surrounding communities.

The NCOP was excited with news of fossil matter that has been discovered on the R336 project between Kirkwood and Addo, while the Executive Mayor of Sarah Baartman District, Councillor Deon de Vos said that quality roads were essential for the transportation of quality citrus products that are produced in the area.

NCOP leader of the delegation to the Msikaba Bridge, Nokuzola Ndongeni said: “We are satisfied with what we are seeing, hearing and what we have been briefed on, the technical side of the project. We are pleased that women and youth are well represented and that there’s skills transfer taking place so that in years to come there can be a show of people who acquired skills here.”

Nkosi Gcinizizwe Mkwedini, of a nearby Qaukeni village, remarked that the Msikaba Bridge project is the symbol of “what we can do working together. The fact that the work that is taking place here is becoming more visible to the world at large symbolises that the people of this community are behind it.”

At the NCOP oversight visit to SANRAL’s Eastern Region (Free State), the MEC for Community Safety, Roads and Transport, Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae, indicated that she is in discussion with SANRAL to take over the repairs and maintenance of the R26, R74 and R34. The MEC also noted that her department now makes use of SANRAL engineers to assess the quality of road upgrades and repairs before they make any payments to their contractors.

In SANRAL’s Northern Region, the members of the NCOP visited the upgrade project along the R573 national road (Moloto Road) Section 2 between Kwaggafontein and Vlaglaagte within the Thembisile Hani local municipality. Moloto Road is a special project, which forms part of several Strategic Infrastructure Projects (SIPs) identified and undertaken by the South African government to revive the country’s economy. Beyond stimulating the economy, upgrading Moloto Road will promote safety and improved mobility for all road users.

Other projects that also featured during the NCOP visits include the upgrading of the N2 national road between Ermelo in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal, the upgrading of the R40 national road between Hazyview and Bushbuckridge, and the maintenance project along the N17 national road Section 5 in Chrissiesmeer within the Msukaligwa and Chief Albert Luthuli local municipalities.

Progress Hlahla, SANRAL’s Northern Regional Manager, welcomed the visit from members of the NCOP on “Building Viable Provincial and Municipal Infrastructure for Effective Delivery of Services to Communities”.

“This initiative goes a long way in sharing SANRAL’s knowledge and expertise of infrastructure development in the country, but it also symbolises the ongoing strategic partnership between the national roads agency and the government at national, provincial and local level, and ensures that the infrastructure projects are delivered on time and within budget,” said Hlahla.

Some common challenges identified across the projects included high contestation by local emerging contractors, demands for ringfencing of economic opportunities for locals and the sometimes exploitative relationship between the main contractors and subcontractors.

“SANRAL appreciates the role its road infrastructure development service delivery plays in the socio-economic upliftment of communities where we work. The oversight visits by NCOP delegations to our projects across the country was an opportune time to demonstrate the impact of our work through the creation of jobs, skills development and participation of previously marginalised groups in economic opportunities presented by our projects,” added Demana.

 

Lynnfield Bridge deck demolition will result in road closure of R103

sizwesethu.futshaneauthor1580views0comments

TRAFFIC ADVISORY

Lynnfield Bridge deck demolition will result in road closure of R103

Pietermaritzburg, 16 September 2023 – The R103 will be closed on the nights of 20, 21, 22 and 23 September 2023, between the hours of 8pm and 5am, to facilitate the demolition of Lynnfield Bridge on the N3, the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has announced.

“Intermittent full closures will take place at Lynnfield Park interchange with both the R103 Westbound and Eastbound traffic being unable to cross under the Lynnfield Bridge during said times. The closures are due to the demolition of half of the Lynnfield Bridge on the N3 towards Durban, as part of the N3 construction process. The traffic accommodation team, with the assistance of the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI), will manage and monitor the diversion of traffic during both sessions,” said Jason Lowe, SANRAL’s Eastern Region Project Manager.

The intermittent full road closures are proposed to take place as follows:

20 Sept 2023

20h00 to 20h30 – Close R103 and proceed to break the bridge structure 20h30 to 00h00 – Continue breaking the concrete structure

21 Sept 2023

00h00 to 04h30 – Complete breaking
04h30 to 05h00 – Clean and reopen R103 allowing for traffic to flow

21 Sept 2023

20h00 to 20h30 – Close R103 and proceed to break the bridge structure 20h30 to 00h00 – Continue breaking the concrete structure

22 Sept 2023

00h00 to 04h30 – Complete breaking
04h30 to 05h00 – Clean and reopen R103 allowing for traffic to flow

22 Sept 2023

20h00 to 20h30 – Close R103 and proceed to break the bridge structure 20h30 to 00h00 – Continue breaking the concrete structure

23 Sept 2023

00h00 to 04h30 – Complete breaking
04h30 to 05h00 – Clean and reopen R103 allowing for traffic to flow

The available alternative routes available to traffic are:
1. N3 North Bound traffic to use Umlaas Road interchange offramp to access Lion Park and

Camperdown.

2. N3 South Bound traffic to use Ashburton interchange to access Lynnfield Park and the Ibhubesi industrial park.

The closure may need to be adjusted depending on weather conditions on the day. SANRAL will keep the travelling public updated on progress and changes to the above through further media statements.

“SANRAL wishes to apologise to the motoring public for any inconvenience caused during the road closure. This is an unavoidable consequence of the road improvements. Attempts have been made to minimise disturbances as far as possible and closures have been restricted to hours when traffic is at its lowest level,” said Lowe.

Motorists are urged to be patient while driving through the alternative routes, to plan and adjust their route trips ahead of time and to adhere to signage and speed limits.

 

Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga says R216 million Montrose Interchange is significant step for economic growth

sizwesethu.futshaneauthor1469views0comments

Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga says R216 million Montrose Interchange is significant step for economic growth

Mpumalanga, 8 September 2023 – Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga says the new R216 million Montrose Interchange on the N4 in Mpumalanga is a prime example of government delivering on its mandate to build better and safer road networks which will help to grow the economy and create jobs.

Minister Chikunga officially opened the Montrose Interchange today and hailed the project as a model of cooperation between the National Department of Transport, the state’s roads agency, South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL), and the private sector. In this case, SANRAL’s partnership with Trans Africa Concessions (TRAC), working together with provincial and local government, had delivered a new, state-of-the-art piece of road infrastructure which met the best engineering and construction standards in the world, said Minister Chikunga.

“This project shows us that South Africa has the capability to build freeway interchanges that can compare to any similar project in countries with advanced and highly developed economies,” said Minister Chikunga. “We are extremely proud of this achievement and it is yet another reason for us to celebrate the work of SANRAL, together with private sector partners such as TRAC. In other words, it’s a perfect example of a public-private partnership.”

“President Cyril Ramaphosa has instructed his cabinet ministers to do everything in our power to grow the economy, create jobs and fight poverty. The Montrose Interchange and all the other projects which SANRAL is busy constructing across the country, together with the private sector, is indisputable evidence that government agencies are working hard to improve the lives of all South Africans,” she said.

Mpumalanga’s MEC for Public Works, Roads and Transport, Mandla Ndlovu, said the Montrose Interchange showed that all levels of government were working together to grow the economy. “I want to thank the national

government, SANRAL and TRAC for delivering this project for the benefit of Mpumalanga and indeed South Africa and Mozambique as well,” he said.

SANRAL Chief Executive Officer Reginald Demana said the Montrose Interchange would significantly improve safety, reduce the number of accidents and help to ensure the free flow of people and goods between South Africa and Mozambique. “The new Montrose Interchange is a major feature of the N4 Maputo Corridor which connects Mpumalanga, Gauteng and North West to Mozambique. This is an economic development corridor which has proven to be a significant driver of growth in the region,” said Demana.

The construction of the project, which started in November 2021, is aimed at improving mobility and to facilitate trade and logistics between South Africa and Mozambique, especially exports and imports via Maputo Harbour.

The scope of Works included the realigning of 600m of the existing Schoemanskloof road, the construction of four new interchange ramps, the widening of the existing two-lane Crocodile River Bridge from two to five lanes, and two new signature arch bridges.

The newly upgraded interchange presented locals with employment and business opportunities, with more than 350 labourers employed on the project over 20 months and more than 20 local companies participated as subcontractors.

Many SMMEs benefited by learning new skills and growing their companies. For skills and transformation initiatives, Raubex introduced LIT (Labour-Intensive Training) to capacitate locals by giving them practical work experience before the formal training from an accredited training institution. This enabled them to understand their scope of work better before moving to the theoretical platform. Forty-four (44) emerging contractors have benefitted from the project and 834 local people benefitted through employment.

The project received praise from officials and the traditional leaders who were in attendance.

Phindile Sibiya, a health and safety officer who worked on the project, said she was proud to have played a part in building such an iconic piece of infrastructure. “It’s been a pleasure working on this project and it has inspired me to further my studies so that I can become a safety officer and also explore other opportunities,” she said.

Expressing her appreciation for the project, the Mayor of City of Mbombela, Councillor Sibongile Makushe, said she was proud of the sterling work by the Department of Transport and SANRAL. “The construction of this interchange

has already uplifted local communities and will undoubtedly have an even greater economic spinoff by making it easier and safer to access neighbouring provinces and countries” she said.

SANRAL remains committed to its mandate of delivering a safe and reliable road network to improve the lives of communities.