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Blasting scheduled at Breidbach Interchange

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TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Immediate

Blasting scheduled at Breidbach Interchange

Eastern Cape, 7 February 2023: The South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd (SANRAL) wishes to advise travellers that controlled blasting is scheduled to take place at the Breidbach Interchange on the N2 near eQonce (formerly King Williams Town) at 3pm on Thursday, 9 February 2023.

The N2, between eQonce and East London and Welkom Street, will be closed for approximately 30 minutes.

The alternative route for motorists coming from the East London side is to take the R102 at the Berlin Interchange and proceed through the Ilitha, Ndevana and Phakamisa townships to join the R346 to eQonce. The diversion is through Zwelitsha. Similarly, from eQonce to East London, motorists are advised to take the R346 towards Zwelitsha and then take the R102 towards Phakamisa, Ndevana and Ilitha townships and then join the N2 at the Berlin Interchange.

“Motorists are requested to plan their trips accordingly and to use caution when making use of the roads. SANRAL apologises for any inconvenience caused,” said Mbulelo Peterson, SANRAL Southern Regional Manager.

 

SANRAL tender awards continue to aid economic recovery of construction industry

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MEDIA RELEASE 

SANRAL tender awards continue to aid economic recovery of construction industry

Gauteng, 1 February 2023 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has this week awarded four major construction tenders, collectively worth nearly R7 billion, for projects in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

These awards will help boost the construction sector and should be seen as part of the broader national effort by government to invest in economic infrastructure, says the roads agency.

In line with SANRAL’s commitment to the economic development of black businesses, at least 30% of the contract value of each tender will be subcontracted to small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs).

In the Eastern Cape, the construction of the N2 Wild Coast Highway from Msikaba Bridge to Mtentu Bridge was awarded to WBHO H&I JV at a cost of R2 545 887 375. On this 54-month project, which includes three months of site mobilisation, no less than 35% will be subcontracted to black-owned SMMEs, squarely exceeding SANRAL’s transformation targets.

The rehabilitation of the N2 from Mt Frere to Ngcweleni River was awarded to Rumdel Construction Cape (Pty) Ltd at a cost of R1 202 448 588. This 45-month contract will see SMMEs benefit to the tune of 30% from subcontracting.

Still in the Eastern Cape, the construction of the N2 Wild Coast Highway from Lingeni Intersection to Msikaba Bridge was awarded to WBHO-Edwin Construction JV. With a contract value of R2 296 695 921 this project, which spans 45 months, will see SMME project participation coming in at 35%, again exceeding SANRAL’s transformation targets.

In KZN, the upgrade of the N11 from the N11/R103 Interchange to Elandslaagte, with a contract value of R864 888 000, was awarded to Raubex Construction (Pty) Ltd. The contract, which will span 39 months, will see more than R250 million (30%) subcontracted to SMMEs.

Over and above the substantial subcontracting which is collectively worth R2.1 billion, these projects are a platform for large-scale job creation, skills development, knowledge transfer and poverty relief, especially in the rural communities of South Africa. The significantly long construction periods afford sustained economic opportunities for these communities. If the SANRAL separately funded community development projects are factored into the equation, the number of SMME opportunities as well as training and job opportunities for ordinary members of our communities significantly increases, thus tangibly reducing unemployment, inequality and poverty, says the Board of SANRAL.

“While we are alive to the cries from our industry for more projects to be put out to tender, we are equally committed to fair and transparent procurement processes, as required by law, but also the need to prioritise the economic development of those previously denied opportunities to SANRAL projects. We also have to respond to the need, as admonished by the Constitution, to advance persons or categories of persons disadvantaged by unfair discrimination. Moving forward, striking a balance between safeguarding our big and established companies and creating opportunities for black businesses at higher and lower CIDB grades will be a material deliverable within SANRAL,” said SANRAL Board Chairperson, Mr Themba Mhambi.

Stakeholder engagement sessions will also be prioritised in the affected communities to ensure that local business and job-seekers have access to relevant information that will enable them to pursue and participate in the economic opportunities flowing from these tender awards and projects. Through the establishment of Project Liaison Committees (PLCs) we will also ensure fairness and transparency in all the appointments of subcontractors and the engagement of local labour.

“We want to see meaningful transformation that truly changes people’s lives for the better and not simply impressive statistics,” said Mhambi.

Toll fee collections at N2 oThongati and uMvoti toll plazas postponed pending further consultations

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MEDIA RELEASE

Toll fee collections at N2 oThongati and uMvoti toll plazas postponed pending further consultations

Durban, 1 February 2023 – The South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) hereby announces that the resumption of toll fee collections at N2 oThongathi Mainline and uMvoti toll plazas has been postponed until further notice.

This follows consultations on Tuesday, 31 January 2023, between SANRAL, led by the Chairman of the Board, Mr Themba Mhambi and Chief Executive Officer Reginald Demana, and the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government, led by the MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Mr Siboniso Duma, and the MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Mr Sipho Hlomuka, as well as local government leaders. where the recollection of toll fees was discussed.

The Provincial Government of KwaZulu-Natal and SANRAL agreed on Tuesday night that further consultations will take place shortly, following which an announcement regarding the resumption of toll fee collections will then be made

SANRAL provides clarity on employee theft arrest

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Media Release

SANRAL provides clarity on employee theft arrest

The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has noted with concern the reports that one of its employees has been arrested by the South African Police Service in an alleged heist which took place on Wednesday on the R40 near Hazyview in Mpumalanga.

SANRAL would like to clarify that none of its employees have been arrested by the police in connection with the alleged heist. SANRAL further states that none of its employees are directly responsible for cleaning national roads. In terms of SANRAL’s business model, the cleaning of roads is handled by contractors through the Routine Road Maintenance (RMM) contracts.

Considering this report, SANRAL would like to confirm that indeed one of the employees of VEA Construction, the main contractor responsible for road maintenance, was detained following a misunderstanding with the police. The said employee was sent out to assist in clearing the scene as would normally happen with any accident on the routes a contractor patrols.

Upon their arrival at the scene, the contractor’s employees found the police had barricaded the scene for investigation. Once the forensics team and the fire department had concluded their work, they instructed the team to proceed with the clean-up. The clean-up is required to get the operations of the road back on track such that traffic movement is not impeded.

The misunderstanding and arrest happened when a second team of police officers found the member cleaning the scene. During the arrest, the said individual identified himself as a SANRAL employee, as opposed to mentioning the contractor’s company.

We can further confirm that the misunderstanding has been resolved and the individual was released on Thursday.

The criminal justice system is entrusted with dealing with such issues and, as such, SANRAL will not be commenting further on the matter.

Vusi Mona

SANRAL General Manager of Communications

Road closures in eQonce

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TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Immediate

Road closures in eQonce 

Eastern Cape, 26 January 2023: The South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd (SANRAL) wishes to advise travellers that there will be road closures in eQonce (formerly King Williams Town), from Monday morning, 30 January 2023, until September 2023.

There will be road closures due to construction on Welkom Street (MR0690), Independence Roads (MRO688) and Joubert Street.

To avoid traffic congestion near Breidbach, motorists coming from the East London side may take the R102 alternative route at the Berlin Interchange and proceed through the townships of Ilitha, Ndevana and Phakamisa before joining the R346 to eQonce. Similarly, motorists traveling from eQonce to East London may take the R346 to Zwelitsha, then the R102 to Phakamisa, Ndevana and Ilitha townships before connecting to the N2 at the Berlin Interchange.

The N2 will remain open at all times during the road construction period. The R102 is an alternate route to avoid traffic congestion on the N2 near Breidbach.

“Motorists are requested to plan their trips accordingly and to use caution when making use of the roads. SANRAL apologises for any inconvenience caused,” said Mbulelo Peterson, SANRAL Southern Regional Manager.

Blasting scheduled at Breidbach Interchange

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TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Immediate

Blasting scheduled at Breidbach Interchange

Eastern Cape, 25 January 2023: The South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd (SANRAL) wishes to advise travellers that controlled blasting is scheduled to take place at the Breidbach Interchange on the N2 near eQonce (formerly King Williams Town) at 3pm on Tuesday, 31 January 2023.

The N2, between King Williams Town and East London and Welkom Street, will be closed for approximately 30 minutes.

The alternative route for motorists coming from the East London side is to take the R102 at the Berlin Interchange and proceed through the Ilitha, Ndevana and Phakamisa townships to join the R346 to eQonce. The diversion is through Zwelitsha. Similarly, from eQonce to East London, motorists are advised to take the R346 towards Zwelitsha and then take the R102 towards Phakamisa, Ndevana and Ilitha townships and then join the N2 at the Berlin Interchange.

“Motorists are requested to plan their trips accordingly and to use caution when making use of the roads. SANRAL apologises for any inconvenience caused,” said Mbulelo Peterson, SANRAL Southern Regional Manager.

SANRAL serious about growing, transforming construction industry in Nelson Mandela Bay

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Welekazi Ndika, SANRAL Southern Region’s Stakeholder Coordinator was speaking at an information session for SMMEs in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape.

MEDIA RELEASE

SANRAL serious about growing, transforming construction industry in Nelson Mandela Bay

Eastern Cape Province – 24 January 2023: The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) is serious about empowerment in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality and its various projects will provide job and training opportunities for local SMMEs.

Speaking at an information session for SMMEs in Gqeberha yesterday (Monday), Danfred Adams, SANRAL Southern Region’s project manager, said the roads agency has put developing SMMEs from previously disadvantaged communities at the centre of its priorities.

“Key projects that we have started – and are about to start – in Nelson Mandela Bay include the repair of bridges along the R75 national road between Kariega and Jansenville; the first phase of the improvement of the R335 road from Motherwell to Addo; routine road maintenance of the N2 national road between Thornhill and Colchester, improvement of the R75 national road between Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage; the general improvement of the road from Kariega to the Kirkwood Interchange; the reseal of the road between St Albans and Linton Grange; and emergency repairs to the St Georges overpass bridge. Through these projects, we will continue to ensure as SANRAL that local SMMEs and community members benefit.

“At SANRAL we prioritise transformation on our projects, and we always ensure that there is inclusive participation of previously disadvantaged individuals on our projects,” said Adams.

Adams also shared information about SANRAL’s ongoing initiatives to introduce the Intelligent Transport System (ITS) and Freeway Management Systems (FMS) in the Eastern Cape. These systems essentially monitor the country’s national freeways 24/7 for 365 days a year.

Through FMS, SANRAL has been able to manage congestion on the country’s highways by using various intelligent tools. The roads agency is also able to respond speedily when there is an accident or crime scene on the freeways. The pilot project on this initiative started in October 2006 and it is already in the City of Cape Town, eThekwini Metro and the City of Johannesburg. In the Eastern Cape, the project will be introduced in the Nelson Mandela Bay, Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, as well as at the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality.

Presenting SANRAL’s 14 Point Plan, which is the road agency’s guide to facilitate better project level liaison with local communities and structures that are affected by its projects, Welekazi Ndika, SANRAL Southern Region’s Stakeholder Coordinator, said the plan strives to ensure transparency and inclusivity among those who work on SANRAL projects.

“It is always our wish that when our projects start, we will already have established a Project Liaison Committee (PLC) on them. PLCs assist greatly in ensuring better communication and transparency as well as ensuring that work done is done seamlessly on projects.

“PLCs also assist in creating a platform for project liaison, works execution, subcontracting and facilitating employment opportunities for local community members. All community representatives – including the youth, women, people with disabilities and military veterans, to mention a few – must be represented in the PLC,” said Ndika.

“One of the many contentious matters that often face PLCs is subcontracting and sourcing of local labour on our projects. There is often contention from local communities on what constitutes a target area. Local communities will often contest when people from different areas – or clusters in the case of Nelson Mandela Municipality – are employed to work in a different cluster to which they do not reside in. It is important for the PLC to set up a database of local labour to avoid this kind of animosity between community members. I also appeal for all of us to work together on these projects,” added Ndika.

Thandile Makwabe, SANRAL Southern Region’s Transformation Officer, said that the roads agency is aware of the slow pace of transformation in the construction industry. To fast-track transformation, SANRAL continues to be guided by its transformation policy to ensure that there is transparency and equal opportunities for local community members on its projects, he said.

“One of the initiatives that we have taken at SANRAL is initiating a national pre-tender training programme. This programme will empower SMMEs to participate on our projects. A basic training that we do, for example, is equipping SMMEs on how to submit compliant tenders. We often take it for granted on how submitting tender forms incorrectly disqualifies some SMMEs.

This training programme greatly assists SMMEs to understand and know the basics that they must undertake to participate on our projects,” said Makwabe.

The training programme is intended for SMME contractors in the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) 1 – 4 grading. Accredited modules will be presented to SMMEs to enhance their business acumen and tendering skills.

SMMEs will also be screened to ensure that they meet certain criteria for entrance on the programme. Key criteria include registration with the Companies and intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), tax compliance with the South African Revenue Services (SARS), the SMME must be 51% owned by individuals from designated groups, and the SMME needs to be registered on the Central Supplier Database (CSD) of National Treasury.

BLASTING ON THE N3 NEAR THE CAMPERDOWN OVERPASS BRIDGE

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TRAFFIC ADVISORY BLASTING ON THE N3 NEAR THE CAMPERDOWN OVERPASS BRIDGE

Pietermaritzburg – 23 January 2023 – Blasting will be carried out on Wednesday, 8 February 2023, at 15h00 to remove rock outcrops encountered near the Camperdown Overpass Bridge, the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has announced. This forms part of the ongoing N3 upgrades from Cato Ridge Interchange to Dardanelles.

“Rock outcrops need to be removed through blasting, for the construction of the stormwater system as well as the pavement layers. Rolling closures will be used on the N3 in both directions between Umlaas Rd Interchange and Cato Ridge Interchange, to minimise the delay of the traffic on the N3 during blasting,” said Mohamed Parak, SANRAL’s Eastern Region Project Manager.

Temporary road closures in the vicinity of the Overpass Bridge will be erected on the R103, and the on-ramps at Cato Ridge Interchange and Camperdown Interchange will be temporarily closed during the blast. The road closures should not delay traffic for more than 10 minutes.

“All closures shall immediately be removed as soon as the site of blasting has been declared safe,” said Parak.

The speed limit along the route has been reduced to 80km/hr to improve safety of the construction team and road users. Lane closures to permit construction vehicles from safely entering and exiting the work zone, can be expected at night and the public will be informed in advance of such activity.

Delays are expected as a result of the reduced speed limit. Motorists are urged to plan their trips carefully and to be vigilant along the road during their travels.

“We appeal to road users to note and comply with the advance warning signs and speed restrictions when travelling past the construction work zones and apologise for the inconvenience this may cause,” said Parak.

Remaining Work To Be Completed In Townhill

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TRAFFIC ADVISORY

REMAINING WORK TO BE COMPLETED IN TOWNHILL

Pietermaritzburg, 17 January 2023 – The remaining work on the N3 Townhill from Sanctuary Road to Link Road, that was halted due to heavy rainfall in December 2022, is set to be completed soon, the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has announced.

The following work remains outstanding:

  • Middle and fast lane repairs to the northbound carriageway.
  • Construction of the gabion retaining wall on the northbound carriageway.
  • Construction of the side drains on the northbound carriageway.
  • Construction of the side drain in the median on the southbound carriageway.
  • Construction of the additional stacking lanes at Hilton and at the arrestor bed onthe southbound carriageway.
  • Rehabilitation of the damaged steel culverts that are off the road.

“As a result, the northbound carriageway will once again be restricted to two lanes from 23 January 2023 including the reduction to a single lane in the evening. The restriction on the southbound carriageway will be limited to two lanes during the day only. These restrictions are anticipated to be lifted by the end of February 2023,” said Thabiso Dladla, SANRAL’s Eastern Region Project Manager.

The alternative route for possible use by light motor vehicles only during this period is as follows:

1. Old Howick Road (R103)

Although not deemed necessary motorists travelling to and from Durban can use the R103 as an alternate route.

All vehicles above 8-ton MAY NOT use the R103 and will have to allow extra time for any possible delays.

“SANRAL wishes to apologise to the motoring public for any inconvenience caused during the construction. We appeal to road users to adhere to the road signs and speed limit when approaching and travelling through the construction site,” said Dladla.

Resumption on the payment of toll fees at N2 uThongati and uMvoti toll plazas

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MEDIA RELEASE

Resumption on the payment of toll fees at N2 uThongati and uMvoti toll plazas

KZN, 20 January 2023 – Following the completion of repairs to the flood- damaged infrastructure on the R102 and M4 near the N2 uThongati and uMvoti toll plazas, toll fees on most ramps at these plazas are, with effect from 1 February 2023, no longer suspended, the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has announced.

“Toll collection will resume on the N2 uThongati Mainline and on the Southern ramps, as well as on all ramps at uMvoti toll plaza. Northern ramps toll collection at uThongati will remain suspended until such time that access at M4 Tongati River Bridge has been restored. This will ensure that the local community affected by the M4 closure at Tongati River Bridge can continue to use the N2 toll road for the affected section at no cost,” said Dumisani Nkabinde, SANRAL Eastern Region Manager.

SANRAL suspended toll fees at these plazas in April last year, to ease the economic burden on communities already hard hit by loss of property and livelihoods as a result of the devastating floods that swept through KZN at the time.

The alternative routes to the toll plazas, the R102 and M4, were so badly

damaged that road users were compelled to use uThongati and uMvoti toll plazas on the N2 to get around.

“Our contractors have been working round the clock to repair damaged infrastructure and restore access to the R102 and M4. Both these roads are now fully open to traffic and access to the uThongathi River Bridge is imminent. We wish to thank road users for their patience during this time and wish them safe travels,” said Nkabinde.

Travel south on N2, take SBC off-ramp at Watson Highway (M43), travel south on M4, take off-ramp at M4/M27 heading west towards N2, then take on-ramp onto N2 SBC. The same applies to the return trip traveling to the North.