Blog

TRAFFIC ADVISORY

Intermittent full road closures near Lynnfield Bridge on the N3

Pietermaritzburg, 18 May 2023 – A section of the N3 will be closed intermittently on 22 and 24 May 2023, between 15h00 and 16h00, to facilitate blasting under the Lynnfield Bridge at the N3 Lynnfield (Lion Park) interchange, as part of the upgrade of the R103, the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has announced.

The intermittent closures will take place between the Ashburton and Dardanelles (Umlaas) interchanges. The Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI), with the assistance of the contractor’s traffic accommodation team will manage and monitor traffic during both sessions.

As the blasting takes place on the R103, there will be no local alternative route onto which to divert traffic. Motorists can expect to experience substantial delays as the R103 and the N3 will both be closed during the period of the blast.

“The closure may need to be adjusted depending on weather conditions on the day. If that happens, an updated notice with information of the new time will be issued. Motorists are urged to be patient during the closures and to plan and adjust their journeys to ensure they arrive at their destinations on time, while adhering to sign- posted speed limits. SANRAL apologises to road users for any inconvenience caused and thanks them for their patience during road construction,” said SANRAL Project Manager, Ayanda Chagwe.

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

22 May 2023

15h00 to 15h30 – Close N3 and blast on the R103 15h30 to 16h00 – Reopen N3 & R103 for all vehicles

24 May 2023

15h00 to 15h30 – Close N3 and blast on the R103 15h30 to 16h00 – Reopen N3 & R103 for all vehicles

MEDIA ALERT

Transport Minister to inspect infrastructure at N7 Moorreesburg and Huguenot Tunnel

Western Cape, 14 May 2023 – Leading up to her budget vote delivery in parliament on Wednesday, 17 May, Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga, MP, will be inspecting SANRAL infrastructure upgrades at the N1 Huguenot Tunnel and N7 Moorreesburg on Monday, 15 May.

Monday is also the start of the 7th UN Global Road Safety week, and this year the campaign is observed under the theme “Rethink Mobility”. Minister Chikunga will be engaging road users outside the Huguenot Tunnel Toll Plaza.

SANRAL has invested significantly into road safety and operational upgrades at the Huguenot Tunnel South Bore, particularly geared for smarter mobility. Furthermore, plans are currently in design to commission the second tunnel (North Bore) which will bring the Huguenot Tunnel in line with international standards for road tunnels.

The R600 million upgrade of the N7, between Malmesbury and Mooreesburg, is nearing the halfway mark and the Minister will be inspecting the works completed to date. The scope of works involves widening the cross section of the N7 for approximately 25km and the construction of additional climbing lanes to create more passing opportunities, especially given the high volume of heavy vehicles on the Cape Namibia route.

There will be opportunities for interviews and photographs:

Date: Monday15May2023 Time: 10h00 – N7 site visit

12h00 – Huguenot Tunnel site visit

Transport is available from the SANRAL office, 1 Havenga Street Upper Oakdale. The bus departs for the N7 at 08h30.

Members of the media are requested to RSVP or direct enquiries to

sanral@fticonsulting.com

MEDIA RELEASE

R28 million repairs to bridges between Richards Bay and Pongola to start in June 2023

Richards Bay, 12 May 2023 – Repairs to Nseleni River Bridge, Safari Hotel Bridge and Pongola River Bridge on National Route 2 (N2) are set to begin in June 2023, the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has announced.

The project is located between Richards Bay and Pongola on the N2 and falls within the King Cetshwayo and Zululand district municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal.

“The rehabilitation on these bridges is expected to begin in June 2023, starting with the temporary access platform at the Nseleni River Bridge under the N2. Under this eight-month contract, the works will include collision repair to barriers and edge beams, strengthening of the bridge deck cantilevers, and the replacement of movement bearings. Further construction work on the bridges includes minor work such as crack sealing and replacement of damaged movement joints,” said Serisha Sukraj, SANRAL’s Eastern Region Project Manager.

The construction supervision will be undertaken by Naidu Consulting and the contract allows for targeted enterprises and labour involvement under the contract participation goals.

There will be lane closures but deviations will be implemented to ensure the continuous flow of traffic. In most cases two-way traffic will be maintained with lane width restrictions accompanied by traffic control measures. Motorists are encouraged to plan their trips accordingly, and to make provision for the additional travel time.

“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 Sukraj.

Media Release
N4 protests result in fatality

Pretoria, 12 May 2023 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has learned with regret of the sad fatality of which occurred today because of the service delivery protests which have been taking place since Tuesday on the N4 route between Balmoral Interchange and the N4/N12 split near eMalahleni.

According to a report by the South African Police Services in Middleburg, an incident occurred in the closed off area where a vehicle said to be travelling on the N4 collided with a burnt truck resulting in one fatality. It is alleged that the vehicle made a U-turn on the N4 to avoid the protesters.

Solange Soares, Communications Manager from TRAC said protesters are no longer on the scene and the Eastbound carriageway has been opened to traffic.

“We are still assessing the damage and once completed our teams will start clearing the scene. The teams will also continue to do traffic accommodation until the clean-up is completed” she said.

SANRAL will continue to monitor the situation and update the public on further developments regarding the matter.

Road users requiring real-time information are urged to follow @TRACN4Route on Twitter or call the TRAC 24-hour Helpdesk in South Africa on 0800 87 22 64 (toll-free) or 082 881 4444 and in Mozambique on 800 9022.

• Eastbound (towards Maputo)

Take the Bronkhorstspruit Interchange (R42) towards Delmas, then join the N12 which joins the N4 just before the Middelburg Plaza.

SANRAL apologises to road users for any inconvenience caused and commits to continue putting their safety first in such situations.
Road users requiring real-time information are urged to follow @TRACN4Route on Twitter or call the TRAC 24-hour Helpdesk in South Africa on 0800 87 22 64 (toll-free) or 082 881 4444 and in Mozambique on 800 9022.

MEDIA RELEASE

SANRAL and KSD Local Municipality assess state of R411 Coffee Bay road

Eastern Cape, 11 May 2023 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) and the King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) Local Municipality conducted an inter-governmental site assessment of the R411 Viedgesville to Coffee Bay road on Wednesday, 10 May 2023.

A delegation led by a Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) of KSD Local Municipality, Councillor Ziyanda Nokayi, and SANRAL’s Southern Regional Manager, Mr Mbulelo Peterson, embarked on a site assessment to evaluate progress in emergency repairs on the R411 Viedgesville to Coffee Bay road – a major road leading to the popular tourist town.

“Today’s site visit was three-pronged in that we sought to assess progress made in the emergency pothole repair work that commenced last November after our appointment of the contractor, Rainbow Civils,” said Peterson.

“The visit also sought to assess the extent of damage to the three bridges that collapsed along the road from the floods that hit the Coffee Bay area in March this year, and to introduce to the municipality the contractor, Razzmatazz, which was appointed on 5 May 2023.”

Peterson explained that SANRAL had facilitated the site visit to introduce the contractor to the municipality, the local leadership (iNkosi and Ward Councillor) and Project Liaison Committee (PLC) to enable prompt commencement of work to restore the approaches to the bridge structures and, in turn, accessibility for the surrounding communities.

“As KSD Local Municipality, we appreciate that SANRAL has delivered on their promise that the potholes on this road would be attended to with urgency. We are happy with the progress and with SANRAL’s work in this community. We also understand that the bigger project that was announced by the former Transport Minister will be implemented in the next three to four years and look forward to that,” said Councillor Nokayi.

Derrick Mdibaniso, a member of the Mqanduli Taxi Association, who is also a PLC member for the bridge repairs project, commended the difference made by the pothole repairs done thus far along this route, which is also a taxi route, and looks forward to completion of all the repairs, especially towards the second half of the road that is in very bad condition.

The R411 Viedgesville to Coffee Bay road was transferred from a provincial road to SANRAL’s portfolio in August 2022. When SANRAL took over the 75km stretch of road, the first 30km of the road was in a fair condition, with evidence of isolated potholes, and the next 35km in a very bad condition. The road suffered further damage following floods experienced earlier this year, which worsened its poor state and led to the washaway of the approaches to the three bridges.

TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Immediate

Eastern Cape, 6 May 2023 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) and contractors, the Concor/MECSA Construction Joint Venture, are saddened by the death of a construction worker who passed away at the Msikaba Bridge construction site in Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape Province, on Friday, 5 May 2023.

SANRAL and the contractors, CME JV, offered their condolences to the family of the worker, who died after a fatal accident occurred at the Msikaba Bridge construction site. He worked for one of the subcontractors on the site.

“We extend our sincere condolences to the family and the community of Lusikisiki for this tragic accident. We want the family to know that we will take every action possible to comfort them through this challenging time”, said Laurence Savage, Project Director of CME JV.

SANRAL’s General Manager for Marketing and Communications, Vusi Mona, said the roads agency was saddened by the news.

“SANRAL and our contractor, the Concor/MECSA Construction Joint Venture, send our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. We wish them strength during this difficult time. We are not in a position to name the deceased at this time,” said Mona.

SANRAL and the CME JV are undertaking an internal investigation to determine the cause of the accident. The authorities are also investing what happened.

The Msikaba Bridge contract forms part of SANRAL’s flagship N2 Wild Coast Road (N2WCR) road infrastructure development project that starts in East London and ends along the border of the Eastern Cape province and KwaZulu-Natal province at the Mtamvuna River in Port Edward.

“We are working closely with the contractors to uncover what led to this tragic incident. The safety of our workers on site is of paramount importance to SANRAL and we want to ensure that work is implemented in a safe environment, free of injuries,” said Mona.

Before this tragic incident, the Msikaba Bridge construction site has held an exemplary record of over 3,5 million loss time injury free hours.