Upgrading of the Huguenot Tunnel, which has neared the end of its design life, is scheduled to start in mid-January with off-peak maintenance closures. This will take four months. Initial work has been done and the closures will allow for the completion of much-needed refurbishment.
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Update – N2 Ballito to Stanger
A new contractor is scheduled to be on site by the end of the year for a ten-month contract to upgrade the N2 between Ballito and Stanger. The original contractor was liquidated. The contract is for the realignment of the N2 at the Umhlali River and Umvoti River bridges.
Transport key to national development
The transport sector is at the heart of the country’s development and road infrastructure must always be in top condition to ensure the safety of motorists and pedestrians.
The Free State Department of Police, Roads and Transport has the responsibility to promote accessibility and the safe, affordable movement of people, goods and services.
This is done through the delivery and maintenance of transport infrastructure that is sustainable, integrated and environmentally sensitive, and supports and facilitates social empowerment and economic growth.
The transport sector is at the heart of the country’s development and road infrastructure must always be in top condition to ensure the safety of motorists and pedestrians.
In recent years there has been an increase in overloading of trucks which has resulted in a marked deterioration in the condition of the Free State’s road network.
I am pleased that the traffic control centres at Senekal and Kroonstad have been upgraded by SANRAL in partnership with the Free State Department of Police, Roads and Transport.
This will certainly go a long way towards curbing the extensive overloading of trucks.
Drivers of heavy vehicles will be issued a fine if the vehicle exceeds the permissible mass on gross mass and/or axle unit mass.
Traffic officers are stationed at the traffic control centres to inspect the road worthiness of vehicles on a 24-hour basis.
Special emphasis is placed on tyres and the braking system. In the quest to integrate transport planning and implementation, a Transport Planning Forum has been launched and I am pleased that SANRAL is represented on this important body.
Transport directly affects economic growth, quality of life and plays an important role in the dynamics of urban settlements.
Effective modes of transport, including roads, rail, maritime and air as well as the supporting infrastructure, enable businesses and farmers to get their goods and services to the market in a secure and timely manner and facilitate the movement of the workforce to the most suitable jobs.
Transport’s multi-disciplinary nature necessitates a comprehensive, intermodal approach and integrated transport planning is, therefore, a positive way to more sustainable transport systems.
All three spheres of government have a key role in transport planning, implementation and maintenance of transport infrastructure and services.
However, many of the challenges in South Africa’s transport system are due to a lack of integrated planning by the three spheres of government and the application of a proper transport planning model.
A single body representing all levels of government will ensure a cohesive transport planning spectrum.
The Free State Transport Planning Forum will actively and proactively assist, support, guide and monitor all spheres of government in striving towards the transport vision; and create a framework of monitoring private transport operators in order to ensure the attainment of economic inclusion and job creation.
This is an opinion piece by Sam Mashinini, the Free State MEC for Police, Roads and Transport.
LM Radio comes on board for TRACN4 National Rally
The international commercial radio station, which is based in Maputo, Mozambique, and broadcasts to South Africa, committed its support to the event.
Trans African Concessions (TRAC) and the National Rally Championship (NRC) are delighted to announce LM Radio as the official media partner for the 2019 TRACN4 National Rally.
The international commercial radio station, which is based in Maputo, Mozambique, and broadcasts to South Africa, committed its support to the event last week.
This will ensure that the rally gets the mileage it deserves along the entire N4 Toll Route and across South Africa and Mozambique.
The 2019 TRACN4 National Rally will be held in Bronkhorstspruit, Gauteng, on 27 and 28 September and is the sixth leg of the South African Rally Championship series.
The organisers are already hard at work with preparations for the thrilling event, which will see some of the country’s top rally drivers in action.
In addition, the TRACN4 Rally is the penultimate leg of the seven-leg series and competitors will go all out to make the most of the race and ensure that they enter the final stage in the best possible position.
The event will start at 14:00 on 27 September at the Willem Prinsloo Agricultural Museum, where Rally HQ and the service park will also be located.
Day two will see a spectacular gravel stage, that promises some adrenaline-filled spectating.
Some of the SA Rally Championships’ Class R2N top drivers, who’ve confirmed their participation, are Guy Botterill and his navigator Simon Vacy-Lyle in their Toyota Etios R2, Chris Coertse and Greg Godrich in their Mazda and AC Potgieter with Nico Swartz as his navigator in a VW Polo.
The Classic and the Open Class categories will also see some talented duos take each other on, ensuring that this rally is one to be remembered.
Corporate Social Investment
TRAC’s sponsorship of this exciting event is in line with our corporate social investment commitment to communities along our route.
The rally will not only bring fun and entertainment to the town but will also boost the local economy.
TRAC will also add a road safety element to the event, through our child-minding station situated at the rally’s headquarters.
This facility is free and will operate from 10:00 to 15:00 on Saturday 28 September. It will be manned by TRAC’s promotional team, which has vast experience in children’s activities.
There is also no entrance fee for rally spectators.
LM Radio Group CEO Chris Turner said he is stoked that the station will play such a significant role in this momentous rally, which he believes will go from strength to strength.
“We are equally passionate about the communities along the N4 Toll Route and we are very proud to be part of this rally,” said Turner.
“Not only will the rally liven up the quiet, quaint town of Bronkhorstspruit, but it will also have remarkable economic spinoffs for the area.”
Details of the rally will be posted on the SARallying Facebook pages in the run up to the event.
It’s time to get Rally ready!
Speaking with one voice
Our community development projects are proof positive that SANRAL goes beyond building and maintaining roads.
At SANRAL we pride ourselves in the sterling role we play in our ongoing efforts to finance, improve, manage and maintain the national road network, as obliged by our distinct mandate.
Often referred to as “our economic arteries”, South Africa’s 22 214km national road network provides an impetus for the country’s economic activity.
It is through our national road network that people, goods and services travel the length and breadth of this country, contributing to its economic growth and development.
The Free State
In the Free State, we particularly recognise the role we play in the development of the construction and related industries.
By employing local community members and ensuring that local small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) participate in SANRAL projects, the roads agency continues to have an enormous impact on the transformation of the construction industry.
Moreover, working together with provincial and local government, our involvement in key forums such as the Transport Planning Forum, allows us to participate in the coordinated planning of initiatives and speak with a single voice when it comes to addressing the province’s transport needs.
The Free State is at the centre of SANRAL’s key infrastructure projects. Projects such as the Strategic Integrated Project (SIP) 3: Durban-Free State-Gauteng logistics and industrial corridor attest to this.
This major project will transform the province’s economic landscape by strengthening the logistics and transport corridor between the country’s main industrial hubs.
It will also serve as a conduit between Durban’s import and export facilities and the envisaged aerotropolis around O.R. Tambo International Airport in Gauteng.
Of course, all of this will be made possible by the N3, which transverses the Free State.
Our major projects such as the upgrading of the N5 between Harrismith and Industriqwa, upgrading of the N6 from Rouxville to Smithfield, and upgrading of the N1 from Ventersburg to Holfontein, have not only provided job opportunities for locals, but have also provided them with life-long skills.
Community Development
In these three projects alone, 63 SMMEs benefited and 872 locals were offered job opportunities.
Our community development projects are proof positive that SANRAL goes beyond building and maintaining roads.
Through our community development projects in the Free State, we continue to ensure that local people benefit.
This means prioritizing SMMEs and employing locals to work on SANRAL projects. In each of these cases, we continue to engage communities to establish what their needs are.
Our endeavors in the Free State do not end there.
As part of our efforts to ensure that South African students can measure up to international standards in the mathematical world, SANRAL sponsors a Chair in Science, Mathematics and Technology Education at the University of the Free State.
This confirms SANRAL’s commitment to the growth of young talent, particularly in subjects required for the country’s economic development.
This is an opinion piece by Skhumbuzo Macozoma, SANRAL’s CEO.
SANRAL puts out N2/N3 tenders worth billions
SANRAL’s transformation policy has set clearly defined targets for the participation of black contractors, professionals and suppliers in all its projects.
In the next few weeks, the South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL), will put out to tender the first batch of contracts worth billions of Rands for the upgrading of the N2 and N3.
This will include the upgrading of the N2 from Kwamashu Interchange to Umdloti Interchange, the upgrading of the N3 from Cato Ridge to Dardanelles and from Dardanelles to the Lynnfield Interchange.
A stipulation of the contracts is that successful tenderers must be B-BBEE Level 1 to 4 and subcontract a minimum of 30% of the value of the contract to Exempt Micro Enterprises (EMEs) or Qualifying Small Enterprises (QSEs) that are more than 51% black-owned.
A minimum of eight percent of each of the contracts will also be required to be spent on various types of labour opportunities from targeted areas.
The work, which is being tendered out in reasonably sized packages for sections of the freeway, will entail the construction of an additional two lanes in each direction as well as rehabilitation/reconstruction of existing pavement layers and widening of several structures.
Scope of upgrades
The full extent of the planned upgrades on N2 and N3 is expected to take up to eight years to complete.
The upgrades form part of the National Government’s key Strategic Integrated Projects, SIP2: Durban-Free State-Gauteng Logistics and Industrial Corridor.
SIP2 aims to strengthen the logistics and transport corridor between South Africa’s main industrial hubs, improve access to Durban’s export and import facilities and raise efficiency along the corridor including access to the Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone.
- The upgrade of the N2 will focus on a 55km length, from Lovu River on the South Coast, to Umdloti on the North Coast.
- The N3 upgrade will focus on an 80km section from Durban to Pietermaritzburg.
Community development and transformation
In line with SANRAL’s Community Development policy, there are numerous community development projects or initiatives that will be implemented alongside the highway upgrade programme.
These initiatives are to ensure SANRAL leaves behind infrastructure for communities adjacent to the national route.
Dumisani Nkabinde, Regional Manager of SANRAL’s Eastern Region, said the agency is committed to the transformation of the engineering and construction sectors through community development projects during the N2 and N3 upgrades.
He said: “Investment in road infrastructure upgrades provide an opportunity for generating economic growth, alleviating poverty, reducing the scourge of inequality and increasing international competitiveness.
“Clear guidelines and structures have been put in place to ensure local communities benefit directly from the procurement of goods and services from local suppliers to giving preference to the creation of local jobs and developing small enterprises.”
Nkabinde added that SANRAL’s transformation policy set clearly defined targets for the participation of black contractors, professionals and suppliers in all its projects.
“Transformation of the construction industry is a long process. With this understanding SANRAL undertakes to develop SMMEs in various divisions within the construction and other related sectors. SANRAL is also strengthening its community liaison through establishing communication structures that links the projects and adjacent communities,” he said.
Earlier this year, thousands of entrepreneurs and jobseekers attended stakeholder events hosted by SANRAL to share information on business and job opportunities available on the R30-billion N2/N3 upgrade project.
Stakeholder consultative engagements were held in Pietermaritzburg, Hammarsdale and Durban for small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs) about contract opportunities (including training and MOU partner introductions), how to register with the Construction Industry Development Board, requirements to participate in SMME opportunities and processes to follow when tendering.
SANRAL boost for local towns
Treasury has allocated about R21.5-billion per year for the maintenance and improvement of SANRAL’s 19 262km non-toll network.
Municipalities in Mpumalanga, North West and Limpopo are significant beneficiaries of the R40-billion two-to-three-year nationwide construction programme announced recently by the South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL).
The local investment will go toward the upgrading of the R573 Moloto Road, which runs from Gauteng through Mpumalanga to Limpopo and is part of a R3-billion rehabilitation programme for the road.
Some R315-million will be spent in the Thembisile Hani municipality in Mpumalanga and will create more than 900 direct jobs.
The major thrust of the programme will be to upgrade gravel access roads to surface roads and improve drainage.
Progress Hlahla, SANRAL’s Northern Region manager, said: “One such project will benefit communities in the Ephraim Mogale local municipality in Limpopo where the gravel road from Tshikanoshi to Malebitsa will upgraded to an asphalt surfaced road.”
Rustenburg in the North West will see local investment of R180-million that will create more than 500 direct jobs and will result in the building of the Dr Moroka Level Crossing bridge to ease traffic flows as well as increase road and pedestrian safety.
“These projects are in addition to our unremitting routine road maintenance programme that ensures the road assets we have are taken care of,” said Hlahla.
Treasury has allocated about R21.5-billion per year for the maintenance and improvement of SANRAL’s 19 262km non-toll network.
This will go towards a total of 940 projects spread across the country.
The SANRAL network forms the backbone of the country’s transport system. The country depends heavily on road transport for the movement of 94% of all people and 87% of all goods.
The national road network serves as a catalyst for balanced economic growth, business confidence, investment and the transformation of society.
Transformation
A growing share of contracts will be allocated to black-owned construction companies and enterprises owned by women, the youth and the disabled.
In its long-term vision, Horizon 2030, SANRAL committed itself to the transformation of the construction and engineering sectors through the allocation of tenders to new entrants in these sectors.
Hlahla said a total of 51 tenders will be issued for routine road maintenance works, creating opportunities for construction companies with CIDB grades 6, 7 and 8.
These companies will be required to further subcontract to smaller SMMEs to ensure they also benefit from this project rollout.
For conventional design and construction projects, SANRAL will issue approximately 37 tenders for consultants and 27 for contractors in this financial year.
Over the past six months SANRAL has brokered memorandums of understanding between emerging companies and major suppliers of construction equipment and machinery.
These partnerships give black-owned companies greater access to financing, expertise and the sophisticated equipment required to tender for larger contracts.
Work on Polokwane ring road resumes
The project should be completed by November 2020 and its success will increase safety and improve the flow of traffic towards the Polokwane CBD.
Work on SANRAL’s Polokwane ring road project will resume this September. The roads agency has appointed Edwin Construction (Pty) Ltd to continue construction of the road.
The original contract was awarded to Basil Read in August 2015 with work continuing well until June 2018 when the contractor began to experience cash flow challenges, which led to the commencement of a business rescue process.
SANRAL’s Northern Region Manager, Progress Hlahla, said Edwin Construction will continue the original contract and has not been appointed on a new one.
“In April 2019, the SANRAL board approved the appointment of the contractor to continue the work. This is allowed under the terms of the contract if both parties agree. SANRAL, Basil Read and the insurers, Credit Guarantee Insurance Corporation of Africa Limited (CGIC), have agreed the contract will be ceded from Basil Read to Edwin Construction. CGIC will issue a new 10% Performance Bond and are assisting SANRAL to cover and off-set some of the additional administrative and CPA costs.”
What the contract entails
At a contract value of R226.5-million excluding VAT and provision for CPA, the remaining construction work to be carried out by Edwin Construction includes the completion of the new road, widening and strengthening of the old carriageway which will become the new south bound carriageway, completion of the new intersections at the R37 (Lydenburg) and P977 (Silikon) road crossings, bridge structures, culverts, road markings, studs, signage, fencing and drainage.
The contractor will also be responsible for cleaning up and finishing off the road reserve, quarries and borrow pits.
“It is our hope this project will reach completion by November 2020. Its success will increase safety and improve the flow of traffic towards the Polokwane CBD,” said Hlahla.
Hlahla also said the road will remain safe throughout the upcoming festive season.
He concluded: “While our routine road maintenance team has been ensuring safety on the route since Basil Read suspended operations in June 2018, Edwin Construction will be responsible for traffic safety along the entire contract length.
“A qualified and experienced Traffic Safety Officer will be appointed, whose sole responsibility will be to look after road safety issues daily. Over the December holiday period, special teams will be on standby to carry out road maintenance activities such as pothole patching, road markings, cleaning storm water debris and fixing signs.”
Huguenot Tunnel upgrades underway
While it may appear to the average traveler that nothing has changed, much of the current work is done behind the scenes.
The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) met with stakeholders earlier this year to present the operational requirements and time schedule of the Huguenot Tunnel upgrades and how this would impact the road user.
After 31 years of continuous and safe operation, the electrical and mechanical systems have neared their end of life limits and need replacement to ensure compliance to international safety standards.
The work has already begun, but in the interest of minimal inconvenience to the road user work that is able to be completed under live traffic conditions has been prioritised.
The following work has already been completed:
- 11Kv line replacement between the tunnel and Main Control Centre (MCC);
- Installation of back-up generator at MCC;
- North-bore water main replacement;
- Replacement of MCC fire detection and suppression system.
“This bodes well for our overall progress and we are committed to doing as much of the work as possible under live traffic conditions. In this way, the impact to the road user is little to none,” said Randall Cable, SANRAL Western Region Manager.
The team is currently busy with the following processes, some of which are nearly complete:
- South-bore water main replacement;
- MCC water main replacement;
- MCC building redecoration and upgrade of ablution facilities;
- Replacement of VMS signs on the approaches and in the tunnel;
- Replacement of all electronic signage in the tunnel;
- Installation of Tetra Emergency radio system in the tunnel.
The old Du Toit’s Kloof Pass, the R101, which will act as the primary alternate route during the week–day and night–time Huguenot Tunnel closures will also receive a facelift with the installation of additional road signs to better indicate passing opportunities as well as LED road studs along the entire centre line of the pass.
This work will commence shortly and will be completed before the end of the year to aid night–time travellers using the pass.
While it may appear to the average traveller that nothing has changed, much of the current work is done behind the scenes. As soon as current operations are complete, the next stage will include the following, some of which will have to occur during the planned closure:
- Replacement of tunnel FM radio re-broadcast system;
- Upgrade of tunnel PA system;
- 6.6/ 11 kV Switchgear upgrade/replacement;
- Replacement of tunnel fire detection system. While this will be started under live traffic conditions, some of it will only be completed during the scheduled closure.
Originally, the off-peak maintenance closures were scheduled to commence in late September 2019, but are now scheduled to commence in middle January 2020.
The off-peak closures are to allow for the completion of the remaining works, which will not be possible under live traffic conditions and will last approximately four months.
The times of closure remain as previously communicated, which will mean the tunnel will be closed to traffic from 10pm to 6am, Monday to Thursday.
This is when traffic volumes through the tunnel are at their lowest. The tunnel will be fully open weekdays from 6am until 10pm as well as 24 hours a day from Friday to Sunday for all road users.
Motorists are reminded of the alternative routes, which include Paarl–DuToit’s Kloof Pass–Worcester (±62km), Paarl–Gouda–Tulbagh–Worcester (±121km) or Wellington–Tulbagh–Ceres (±74km) Depending on origin and destination, the N2 Grabouw to Villiersdorp (41km) is also an option.
“Where unforeseen changes to the schedule are necessitated, we will communicate these as soon as possible to ensure road users are fully informed of the work being carried out and the effects this may have on traffic flow,” concluded Cable.
Inspiration and insights at the Western Region induction
From first year to final year students alike, inductees were impressed by the magnitude and extent of SANRAL’s footprint on the national network and how this touch lives daily.
The Western Region’s bursary and scholarship induction event was held at the South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) Regional Office in Bellville recently, during which 30 students and learners gathered to get a taste of SANRAL’s work and vision for the next generation of civil engineers.
Once the ice was broken, courtesy of some awkward speed dating, it was down to business.
From first year to final year students alike, the inductees were impressed by the magnitude and extent of SANRAL’s footprint on the national network and how this touches lives daily.
Randall Cable, Western Region Manager, touched on the use of technology and the potential this unlocks in road construction and beyond.
After lunch, Kayelihle Molefe and Nthokozo Sikhosana, final year civil engineering students at the University of Cape Town (UCT), captivated the audience with their inspirational stories.
These two can only be described as “besties”. They hail from Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal and after a bromance in high school, they went their separate ways.
Their academic rollercoasters finally brought them back together at university.
Molefe’s journey took him to the University of Pretoria to pursue a degree in actuarial science, which was short lived and was then followed by a stint at the University of the Western Cape, where he dabbled in dentistry. With near perfect teeth, he soon discovered that this was not his thing either.
Sikhosana attended Stellenbosch University for his first year, which also did not work out, and the two soon ended up back home in Newcastle.
After re-grouping, the duo decided on civil engineering as a career and, with no funds available, started the process of bursary applications.
As fate would have it, they had their interviews a day apart and clearly made a massive impression on the panel, as they both walked off with full bursaries to pursue civil engineering at UCT. The rest is history.
When one was ready to give up, the other was there to encourage him. Together they tackled and overcame every exam.
Today, they are more excited than anxious to complete that final exam later this year and venture into the field as engineering cadets.