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Applications for SANRAL bursaries and scholarships now open

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SANRAL is proud of its long-term investment in education and the support given to hundreds of young people over the years through scholarships and bursaries. Scholarships are available to all high school learners, i.e. from Grade 8 to Grade 12, irrespective of subject choice, and are granted based on academic merit and financial need. Bursaries are also available for studies in a number of fields in addition to civil engineering. Applications for 2024 are now open and close on 30 September. Access all application forms and further information at www.nra.co.za.

Major overhaul for Northern Cape roads

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SANRAL Construction and Maintenance Manager Danie Erasmus said several road maintenance and upgrading projects had been lined up for the Northern Cape, and that a vast difference had been seen in the conditions of roads in the province since the introduction of the Vala Zonke pothole-fixing programme. Erasmus said 950km of the roads in the province had been earmarked for improvement, including periodic maintenance. “We will start rolling them out for design in April next year and construction is set to start in 2025,” he said.

N7 re-opened following closure at Vioolsdrift border crossing in Northern Cape

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TRAFFIC ADVISORY

N7 re-opened following closure at Vioolsdrift border crossing in Northern Cape

Northern Cape, 7July 2023 – The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) can confirm that the N7 section 8, between Steinkopf (north of Springbok) and the Vioolsdrift border post is open to traffic as from 18:00 on Friday 7 July 2023. A four (4) km section of the N7 (area known as Vyf Myl Poort) just south of the border post, was flooded and incurred severe damage last week, resulting in the full closure.

Following an engineering assessment of the damage, the repairs can now be effected and access to road users may be safely granted, while repairs are underway. Due to the extent of the damage, certain sections will still have single lane traffic, which will be accommodated with a Stop/Go point in place.

As an additional safety precaution, an escort vehicle will lead the traffic through the construction areas, which are clearly marked.

SANRAL appeals to road users to be patient while critical road repairs are being done. “We have a full appreciation for the economic importance of the N7, and will endeavour to complete the road repairs as quickly as possible, while maintaining safe access to all vehicle classes through the construction area,” said Randall Cable, SANRAL’s Western Region Manager.

 

SANRAL corrects inaccurate information regarding allegations of poor materials used in N3 upgrade at Peter Brown off-ramp

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MEDIA RELEASE

SANRAL corrects inaccurate information regarding allegations of poor materials used in N3 upgrade at Peter Brown off-ramp

Pietermaritzburg, 6 July 2023 – The South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) notes with concern the article, “Newly constructed road needs repairing” by Chanel George, that appeared in The Witness on Wednesday, 5 July 2023.

The contents of the article are inaccurate. The impression created by the article is that the use of low-quality materials is the cause of the road surface failure. This is simply not true.

SANRAL has on-site laboratories that manage materials testing and the quality and integrity of the road works as standard practice. Through this independent process SANRAL can confirm that quality control has been fully implemented on the project. The statement therefore that the road “needs to be re-patched due to the low quality of finishing and materials used” is factually incorrect.

Furthermore, SANRAL would like to clarify that it was not represented at the meeting, referred to in the article, which was convened by the Councillor of Ward 25, Reginald Khanyile, nor was the Councillor delegated to speak about SANRAL- related matters. SANRAL therefore wishes to distance itself from comments made by any person or persons at the meeting.

SANRAL acknowledges that there is rutting (surface depression that occurs in the wheel paths, particularly that of heavy vehicles) on certain sections of the road, but this is limited to the surface layer only. “The extent and cause of the rutting are currently being investigated and once determined, the associated remedial measures will be undertaken and communicated to all affected stakeholders,” said Thabiso Dladla, SANRAL Project Manager.

SANRAL would like to reassure the public that the road is currently safe for use by motorists and is being monitored on an ongoing basis.

It should also be noted that no crashes were directly caused by the road construction works. The incident records for the project indicate that all crashes were caused by reckless driving, mainly due to speeding or trucks failing to stop at the compulsory stop. Furthermore, traffic was not diverted through residential areas as stated in the article. Road users of their own accord opted to use alternative routes in instances when traffic was slow moving at Townhill.

“SANRAL continually accords the highest priority for the safety of road users and wishes to thank all motorists for their patience and adherence to traffic regulations,” said Dladla.

 

SANRAL unveils over R1 billion investment at Great Kei Local Municipality

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MEDIA RELEASE
SANRAL unveils over R1 billion investment at Great Kei Local Municipality

Caption: Thabiso Ngozwana, SANRAL Construction Manager

Eastern Cape, 29 June 2023: On Wednesday (28 June 2023), SANRAL met with stakeholders and the community of the Great Kei Local Municipality to introduce its two imminent major road infrastructure development projects for the area, which have a combined budget estimate exceeding a billion rand (R1 165bn).

The two projects: upgrading of National Route R63 between km 21.7 and the N2 past Qumrha (km 43.64), valued at R983 million, and the reseal of the N2 Section 16 between Mooiplaas (km 49.9) and Qumrha intersection (km 70.2), valued at R182 million, will be constructed from the second half of 2023.

The scope of the R63 upgrade entails the widening and rehabilitation of the existing two-lane single carriageway with geometric safety improvements and widening of the road, while the N2 Mooiplaas to Qumrha intersection project entails crack sealing, rut filling, texture correction, edge break repairs, and resealing to improve and rehabilitate the road.

Councillor Ngenisile Tekile, Mayor of Great Kei Local Municipality, welcomed the news during the Taking SANRAL to the People stakeholder engagement session in Qumrha. “I commend SANRAL for heeding the call to upgrade the R63 and N2. This will bring major investment to this area, including the construction of a taxi rank and walkways for pedestrian safety. We also welcome the upgrades SANRAL will do along the R63 from Bhisho to N6,” he said.

Councillor Tekile urged that, over and above the intended project, SANRAL assist with upgrading of the Qumhra main road to a tarred pavement as this would go a long way in changing the face of the town for the better.

Great Kei Local Municipality is constituted by mostly poor households living below the poverty line. Most of the population is unemployed and many of the households are indigent, requiring subsidised basic municipal services. To this end, he said “It is very painful to see youth with a bleak future. SANRAL’s road infrastructure investment here will change this over the next few years through the many jobs that will be created.”

“This is a term for development. The three spheres of government must work together in implementing the District Development Model (DDM). Through our engagements and work we do behind the scenes, we lobby for such development so it is good to see that Great Kei will be a construction site this year,” said Cllr Tekile, alluding to other pending municipal and provincial road construction projects that are earmarked for the area.

SANRAL introduced the consultants and main contractors for the two projects. For the R63 Qumrha-N2 project, Mariswe (Pty) Ltd are the appointed consultant and H&I Construction (Pty) Ltd is the main contractor. On the N2 Mooiplaas – Qumrha contract, BVI Consulting are the consulting engineers with Tau Pele Construction (Pty) Ltd being the main contractor.

“On the R63 project, we anticipate construction to commence in August upon conclusion of the mobilisation phase. We are currently developing the Contract Participation Goal (CPG) Plan which will outline the work packages that will be informed by a local skills analysis and will be workshopped with the PLC,” said Mr Thabiso Ngozwana, SANRAL Construction Manager.

He said that SANRAL had made provision to use local suppliers for material sourcing and encouraged those with borrow pits to stay prepared. The R63 project is anticipated to produce over 360 job opportunities for the local community and over 40 subcontracting opportunities. 8% of the contract value will be allocated to labour with a minimum of 30% to be subcontracted to SMMEs, while on the N2 Mooiplaas to Qumrha project, R54 million is estimated to be spent on SMMEs and R40 million is estimated to be spent on labour.
SANRAL has two other projects in the Great Kei Local Municipality; the Slope Stabilisation along the N2 (Kei Cuttings), and the Routine Road Maintenance of sections 16/17&18 of the N2 and section 16 of the R63.

The Municipal Manager of Great Kei Local Municipality, Mr L Lambila encouraged the community to support SANRAL’s road infrastructure construction programme. “We must be ambassadors of these projects and sing from the same hymnbook as these projects will benefit our communities,” he said.

“We also hope those appointed on the PLC will do their job diligently and see these projects to the finish without any hinderances,” added the Municipal Manager. During the session, Project Liaison Committee (PLC) members for both projects were introduced to stakeholders. They included youth, women, people with disabilities, military veterans, business sector and municipal representatives.
SANRAL Regional Stakeholder Relations Specialist, Ms Welekazi Ndika, outlined the PLC’s role as conduits between the project and communities, and that it is there to assist communities with any matters relating to the projects. “Road construction requires major financial injection, so I urge you to safeguard this infrastructure for the benefit of our future generations. The appointed PLC must also ensure that stakeholders are kept abreast of project developments through robust and regular communication. These roads are your assets as the people of Great Kei. We must work together to ensure their successful upgrading and preservation,” said Ndika.
SANRAL also introduced its SMME pre-tender training programme that will be provided to local SMMEs which is intended to help capacitate them for SANRAL projects and beyond.

“We urge our SMMEs to participate in the training because we want you to grow and develop into formidable businesses. This training will help capacitate you,” said Cllr Tekile.

Ndika emphasised that the training is not a prerequisite to participate on SANRAL tender opportunities and nor does it put one at an advantage when tendering on SANRAL projects. “This opportunity will equip you with the prerequisite business skills that go beyond SANRAL projects,” said Ndika.

“Transformation is among the key priorities of SANRAL, to this end, we have established a transformation unit that is dedicated to assisting our emerging contractors, material and plant suppliers and service providers with some of the challenges faced on the ground,” said Ndika, urging local SMMEs to make use of this unit to intervene.

Cllr Mngxaso, Amathole District Municipality Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC), representing the Executive Mayor of Amathole District Municipality, said: “The budget allocation for local SMMEs means that something is being done by government to capacitate local SMMEs. I plead with you to please not waste the one-billion-rand investment that is coming to your shores. As government, our key goal is for our people to benefit. Any challenges that arise can be resolved through working together.”

N7 road closures due to heavy floods in Northern Cape

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TRAFFIC ADVISORY

N7 road closures due to heavy floods in Northern Cape

Northern Cape, 29 June 2023 – Parts of the Northern Cape are experiencing severe flooding and road closures are already in place, with alternative routes available where possible.

The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) can confirm that the N7 section 8, approximately 10 km before Vioolsdrift (area known as Vyf Myl Poort) is closed due to flooding. A portion of the N7 has already been severely damaged and the water levels continue to rise. It is likely that more damage will occur and the N7 will be closed for a period of time to effect necessary repairs once the water levels have receded. Road users travelling to Namibia can access the country at the Alexander Bay border, via Steinkopf intersection (N7) towards Port Nolloth on the R382.

“Our Routine Road Maintenance (RRM) and all Emergency Services are on hand, monitoring the situation and responding in accordance with the level of urgency. They will be closing roads where it becomes unsafe to travel and where possible, will sign-post the alternative routes,” said Randall Cable, SANRAL’s Western Region Manager.

SANRAL appeals to road users to be on high alert, reduce speed and if at all possible, avoid travelling in those areas, as further rain and adverse weather is expected.

“We will keep road users updated as the situation changes,” said Cable.

 

N7 road closures due to heavy floods in Northern Cape

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TRAFFIC ADVISORY
N7 road closures due to heavy floods in Northern Cape

Northern Cape, 29 June 2023 – Parts of the Northern Cape are experiencing severe flooding and road closures are already in place, with alternative routes available where possible.

The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) can confirm that the N7 section 8, approximately 10 km before Vioolsdrift (area known as Vyf Myl Poort) is closed due to flooding. A portion of the N7 has already been severely damaged and the water levels continue to rise. It is likely that more damage will occur and the N7 will be closed for a period of time to effect necessary repairs once the water levels have receded. Road users travelling to Namibia can access the country at the Alexander Bay border, via Steinkopf intersection (N7) towards Port Nolloth on the R382.

“Our Routine Road Maintenance (RRM) and all Emergency Services are on hand, monitoring the situation and responding in accordance with the level of urgency. They will be closing roads where it becomes unsafe to travel and where possible, will sign-post the alternative routes,” said Randall Cable, SANRAL’s Western Region Manager.

SANRAL appeals to road users to be on high alert, reduce speed and if at all possible, avoid travelling in those areas, as further rain and adverse weather is expected.

“We will keep road users updated as the situation changes,” said Cable.

PROPOSED DIVERSIONS ON N3 BETWEEN DURBAN AND PIETERMARITZBURG

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TRAFFIC ADVISORY
PROPOSED DIVERSIONS ON N3 BETWEEN DURBAN AND PIETERMARITZBURG

Pietermaritzburg, 28 June: The upgrade of the N3 between and Durban and Pietermaritzburg will achieve a major milestone in the coming weeks, when traffic will be diverted onto the newly constructed North-bound carriageway.

The diversion of the traffic will enable the upgrade of the existing Southbound carriageway. Motorists are advised to adhere to the posted speed limit of 80km/h due to restricted road widths and to exercise caution as they will not be driving on the final road surface.
The proposed dates of the diversions are:

The first of the planned diversions will be implemented on 19 June 2023 when the current North-bound traffic (traffic travelling in the direction of Pietermaritzburg) will be diverted at the Camperdown Interchange onto a part of the newly constructed carriageway.
On 29 June 2023, a further section of the newly constructed carriageway up to the Lynnfield Park Interchange will be opened for the Northbound traffic.

Approximately two weeks later, the Southbound traffic is anticipated to be diverted onto the new carriageway.
The implementation of the northbound cross-over past the Umlaas I/C will now result in access of the N3 at Umlaas Road being restored again. The VMS sign messages that indicate the Umlaas Rd I/C being closed, can then be removed as from 29 June 2023.
Motorists are advised to be on the lookout for more details in the media in the upcoming days.

The Ashburton Interchange is part of the larger N2 and N3 Upgrade Programmes, often referred to as the N2/N3 upgrades. The upgrades, when completed, will bolster the capacities of these economic arteries from Durban to the rest of South Africa and Africa in line with the ambitions set out in the SIP2 programme. The projects connect the Port of Durban, the largest port in Sub-Saharan Africa, to Gauteng, the largest economic hub in the country, and neighbouring countries in SADC region. The upgrades will resolve the chronic traffic congestion and reduce road carnage, thus providing higher mobility, increased safety and a reduction in overall travel time

Transformation is not a lip service – SANRAL

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Transformation is not a lip service – SANRAL

Pretoria, 28 June 2023 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) celebrated the recently completed Karino Interchange situated on the N4 in Mpumalanga with local small business owners in Nelspruit who all contributed to its success.

SANRAL, in partnership with Trans Africa Concessionaires (TRAC), hosted an official ceremony to hand over certificates to local small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) who participated in the construction of the Karino Interchange project. This is part of the agency’s transformation drive to empower black-owned businesses with the necessary knowledge and skills to be competitive in the industry.

Progress Hlahla, SANRAL’s Northern Regional Manager, said the roads agency has embarked on a process of fundamental transformation that opens the path for inclusive, broad-based economic development through the greater involvement of black-owned SMMEs and local labour in road construction and maintenance.

“SANRAL has made a commitment to recognise and involve small business in our projects. Since our adoption of the Preferential Procurement Framework Act (PPPFA) we have ensured that we set aside enough work for SMMEs to participate meaningfully in our projects. Such initiatives bring us one step closer to our mission and I am highly honoured to be part of this celebration,” he said.

TRAC CEO, Alex van Niekerk, gave a brief background of how the project started in November 2019 and concluded in May 2022. He spoke about the importance of Private-Public Partnerships (PPP) in working well together with SANRAL in completing the interchange. He further acknowledged one of the requirements in the contract by SANRAL for training and development of SMMEs which was done successfully on the project.

“On behalf of TRAC, we congratulate all the SMMEs who are receiving certificates today. The main objective for the development and training was to build your competency, to expand your operations so that you can become prominent players within the construction industry. This was a good start, and from here you can only grow. May your future be bright and prosperous, and may you also play a major part in developing our country,” he said.

TRAC said they have feedback that some of the businesses who trained on the project went on to get other work, are performing quiet well and delivering work of high quality.

Melba Geca, SANRAL Stakeholder Coordinator in Mpumalanga, said this was indeed a great moment for the roads agency and all the stakeholders involved, as is showed the commitment to bring change and development of small businesses.

“Transformation is not a lip service, but it is the heartbeat of SANRAL, because we believe in the development and the capabilities of our people,” said Geca.

SANRAL invested R375-million for the project, about R116 million worth of work was set aside for SMMEs and R22,3-million for local labour. A total of 44 SMMEs benefitted from the project through subcontracting and 422 local people were employed. The project constructed by Raubex Group Limited consisted of the intersection transformed into a grade-separated interchange, with on- and off-ramps and a bridge that will separate cross-traffic from through-traffic and thus ease traffic flow at this extremely busy intersection. Raubex introduced LIT (Labour-Intensive Training) to capacitate the locals by giving them practical work experience to take place before formal training from an accredited training institution. This enabled them to understand their scope of work better before moving to the theoretical platform.

Various stakeholders from the provincial, district and local municipalities attended the ceremony and commended SANRAL and TRAC on a job well done.

Ernest Jele, Acting General Manager for City of Mbombela, said they welcome this important initiative because as Local Economic Development (LED) the certification of these business will ensure that there’s well qualified and capable business in City of Mbombela for future projects.

 

BLASTING OPERATIONS ON THE N2 AND R56 INTERSECTION OUTSIDE KOKSTAD

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TRAFFIC ADVISORY
BLASTING OPERATIONS ON THE N2 AND R56 INTERSECTION OUTSIDE KOKSTAD

KZN 27 June 2023 – Blasting operation is scheduled to take place at N2 – R56 Intersection in Kokstad, at approximately 2pm on Wednesday 5 July 2023, the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has announced.

“During earthworks operations, hard rock was encountered within the new pavement depth. Conventional methods for the removal of the rock have proved unproductive. The contractor has requested to undertake controlled blasting on the left-hand side of the existing roadway to remove this rock. It is anticipated that the road will be closed for one hour in all directions,” said Hugh Brooks, SANRAL’s Eastern region Project Manager.

The blasting time may need to be adjusted depending on weather conditions. If this happens, a second notice with information of the new time will be made available.

“The completion of the work requires widening of the existing N2 cross section to accommodate the tie-in of the new R56 overpass ramps. A full closure of the N2 will be required for the duration of blasting works,” said Brooks.
SANRAL apologises to the motoring public for any inconvenience caused and would like to urge motorists to proceed with caution and adhere to speed limits.

“We appeal to road users to note and comply with the advance warning signs and speed restrictions when travelling past the construction work zones. To prioritise the safety of both the construction works and road users, the speed limit along the route will be reduced during construction,” said Brooks