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Blasting scheduled at Breidbach Interchange

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TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Immediate
Blasting scheduled at Breidbach Interchange

Eastern Cape, 15 September 2022: 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 King Williams Town at 3pm today Thursday, 15 September 2022.

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, Phakamisa townships to join the R346 to eQonce (King Williams Town). The diversion is through Zwelitsha. Similarly, from eQonce to East London, motorists are 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 asked 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.

UPDATE ON THE UPGRADING OF THE N2 FROM KWAMASHU INTERCHANGE TO UMDLOTI RIVER BRIDGE

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TRAFFIC ADVISORY

UPDATE ON THE UPGRADING OF THE N2 FROM KWAMASHU INTERCHANGE TO UMDLOTI RIVER BRIDGE

Durban, 9 September 2022 – Construction work has begun in the median behind the concrete barriers, following the reduction in the number of lanes and lane widths on both sides of the N2 between the KwaMashu and Mount Edgecombe interchanges, the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has said.

“This will have no effect on traffic, except at the two far ends where construction vehicles will be exiting. However, there will be flagmen in attendance and warning signage will be erected,” said Trevor Zumani, SANRAL’s Eastern Region Project Manager.

The long-term closures and/or lane width restrictions north of the Mount Edgecombe Interchange up to the Umdloti Interchange will continue into 2026. However, there will still be two lanes open in both directions which will have merely been narrowed slightly and the shoulders reduced in width. The disruption is expected to be minimal.

“There has been reports of pedestrians on the road along the southbound section between the Umhlanga River Bridge and the Mount Edgecombe Interchange. There is also the possibility of taxis stopping in the slow lane with the loss of the shoulder lane. Motorists are urged to continue to remain patient, to slow down and to drive with extra care,” said Zumani.

Night-time work: From Sundays to Thursdays for the next fortnight, there will be minor disruptions, if any, to the traffic flow, all to the north of the Sibaya Interchange, as concrete barriers are brought in and placed alongside the median. There will also be line obliteration and the moving of the two lanes to accommodate the work to be carried out in the median.

Day time work: All of the work will be to the north of the Mount Edgecombe Interchange, the majority being north of the Sibaya Interchange. This could result in some congestion and airline passengers are requested to add extra time to their trips to the airport.

“SANRAL would like to appeal to motorists to adhere to the warning signs, reduce their speed when approaching the construction sites. We appeal to road users to plan their trips accordingly, especially when accessing travel hubs such as the airports,” said Zumani.

SANRAL continues with training SMMEs for tendering opportunities in Mpumalanga

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Media Release

Melba Geca, SANRAL Stakeholder Coordinator and Lucky Negogogo, SANRAL Project Manager during the SMME information training session in Nkomazi Local Municipality

SANRAL continues with training SMMEs for tendering opportunities in Mpumalanga

 

Pretoria, 8 September 2022: The South African National Roads SOC Limited (SANRAL) continues engaging with small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in Nkomazi Local Municipality to prepare them to tender for upcoming Routine Road Maintenance (RRM) projects in Mpumalanga province.

The project team – led by Lucky Negogogo, SANRAL Project Manager; Melba Geca, SANRAL Stakeholder Coordinator; and engineers from ROMH Consulting and VEA Road Maintenance – hosted several business engagement sessions to equip SMMEs with the necessary information and training to correctly bid for subcontracting opportunities to be rolled out in the next few months.

“SANRAL has been engaging small business who are Grade 1CE and 2CE in Nkomazi to prepare them for tendering opportunities for subcontractors for RRM projects in the region. This is quite critical for us to ensure the development of black-owned business, particularly those owned by women and youth, to participate meaningfully on SANRAL projects,” said Geca.

The training included how to successfully complete tender documents, accurate pricing and completion of the bill of quantities (BOQ), to note the returnable documents and to ensure that all their documents are compliant to improve their chances of qualifying. Candidates were also made aware of the importance of attending the compulsory clarification meeting where tenders are briefed

on the important aspects in the tender document, to highlight the shortfalls encountered in the tender process, and to make prospective bidders aware of the requirements in the tender document.

There will also be training and skills development for the appointed subcontractors which will include, among others, first-aid training and occupational health and safety.

The services will be for the maintenance of the National Road R570 from Jeppes Reef Border Post to the N4; maintenance of the R571 from the N4 to Mananga Border Post, and the R581 from R571 to N4 which is a total of 176,14 km of the SANRAL road network in the Municipality.

The scope of work on the projects for the grade 1 and 2 CEs will include:

  • accommodation of traffic
  • repair and maintenance of inlet and outlet structures
  • cleaning of prefabricated culverts
  • cleaning of concrete drains and channels
  • edge build-up removal
  • fencing
  • collection and removal of debris and litter
  • stabilisation of cuttings
  • erection and repair of permanent road traffic signs
  • road sign cleaning
  • removal of illegal signs
  • roadstuds
  • general erosion protection
  • general and shoulder mow
  • m6300: removal of undesirable vegetation: physical eradication
  • m6400: maintenance and establishment of plants, trees and shrubs

    Dumi Mnisi, founder and director of DM Projects, commended the roads agency on a critical and insightful initiative which will assist small companies to be competitive in the industry.

    “We really appreciate SANRAL for this initiative and for bringing these opportunities to local communities. There is a space for small companies in the construction industry and such engagements will assist in ensuring that we are able to participate meaningfully. May SANRAL continue to do more to develop small companies,” he said.

    SANRAL said the tender documents will be made available electronically at no cost to tenderers once all the processes have been finalised.

    Geca says SANRAL will continue with efforts to transform the construction industry and empower local companies to participate fully on its projects.

Blasting scheduled at Breidbach Interchange

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TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Immediate

Blasting scheduled at Breidbach Interchange

 

Eastern Cape, 6 September 2022: 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 King Williams Town at 3pm today, Tuesday, 6 September 2022.

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, Phakamisa townships to join the R346 to eQonce (formerly King Williams Town). The diversion is through Zwelitsha. Similarly, from eQonce to East London, motorists are 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 asked 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.

TRANSPORT MINISTER FIKILE MBALULA OPENS MUSINA RING ROAD SAYING IT WILL POSITIVELY IMPACT ECONOMIC GROWTH

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MEDIA RELEASE

TRANSPORT MINISTER FIKILE MBALULA OPENS MUSINA RING ROAD SAYING IT WILL POSITIVELY IMPACT ECONOMIC GROWTH

1 September 2022 – Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has officially opened the Musina Ring Road near the Beit Bridge border post in Limpopo as part of the South African government’s drive to promote regional trade and tourism. The Musina Ring Road, a project of the South African National Roads Agency SOC (SANRAL), was built at a cost of R700-million and created much-needed jobs and economic opportunities for local communities.

Minister Mbalula said the new road, which will carry traffic around, as well as into and out of Musina, would facilitate the free flow of traffic to and from Zimbabwe and other Southern African countries.

“This road will facilitate better mobility and the safe movement of goods, services and people in and around Musina,” said Minister Mbalula. “It will also help to facilitate greater trade and economic activity between South Africa and our northern neighbour Zimbabwe, as well other countries in the Southern African Development Community.”

“President Cyril Ramaphosa has given our government clear instructions to ensure that we move with speed to invest in and build new infrastructure, create jobs and help to grow the South African economy. This is critically important, especially as part of our economic recovery programme following the devastation of the Covid-19 pandemic. Today’s opening of the Musina Ring Road is evidence that SANRAL and all government agencies are carrying out the mandate of the President and indeed the government which was elected by our people,” said Minister Mbalula.

Minister Mbalula praised SANRAL, as well as the construction companies, workers and the community of Musina for their role in bringing the project to life despite significant challenges during construction.

“It is always good to celebrate successful delivery by the government and its agencies, in the service of our people. To this end, I want to applaud the work of SANRAL and all the contractors and workers who brought the project to life. I also want to thank the community of Musina for their patience, given that the project had many challenges over the years before it was finally completed.”

Limpopo’s MEC for Public works, Roads and Infrastructure, Ms Nkakareng Rakgoale, welcomed the opening of the new road and expressed the provincial government’s appreciation to Minister Mbalula and SANRAL.

“On behalf of Premier Stan Mathabatha and the people of Limpopo, I want to welcome this impressive new road in our province, which is going to have a significant and positive impact on Musina and indeed the provincial economy, said MEC Rakgoale.

BACKGROUND

The road consists of eight (8) kilometres of new, single carriageway with one lane in each direction, and with paved shoulders. It is constructed as part of a ring road on the Western side of the Musina CBD and functions as a highway with controlled access to and from the N1. Access to the town is provided through two interchanges, one at the Southern entrance to the town called the Musina Interchange. The other is at the Northern entrance to the town and is called the Nancefield Interchange. Two cross accesses are also provided, namely Harper Road and Freedom Street.

Musina is a very busy town with lots of traffic going through it. Congestion has always been a major problem. The town is a great tourism hub with easy access to the Kruger National Park and the Mabunguwe World Heritage Site. It is also located perfectly for cross-border trade, especially with Zimbabwe, and this area has been declared a growth point by the provincial government. A Special Economic Zone (SEZ) was established recently which will create about 19,000 jobs in the area, an indication of a fast-growing municipality.

The project has provided opportunities for a number of local small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs), as well as community members. Over the past three years, it created more than 280 jobs with wages of more than R28 million paid out. The construction company used accredited training service providers to train SMMEs and local labourers who worked on this project.

SANRAL leads from the front on women empowerment

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MEDIA RELEASE

SANRAL leads from the front on women empowerment

Gauteng, 1 September 2022 – As long as she heads the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL), Acting CEO Lehlohonolo Memeza will remain unapologetic about employing more women into leadership positions.

This is the message Memeza confidently conveyed at the annual SANRAL Women’s Month Seminar held at Sun Time Square in Tshwane yesterday (Wednesday).

The theme of the seminar, attended by a live and online audience, was “Encouraging Women and Men to Grow Beyond Gender and Live in Full Colour’.

One of the highlights was a robust panel discussion that got to the heart of several hard-hitting, gender disparity issues, often considered taboo.

Memeza did not mince her words: “We need SANRAL women around the boardroom table, not only to be present, but to be vocal. Your opinions, your solutions, your creative ideas, they are needed around the table. You went to the same universities as the men around you. You are capable. Trust yourself.”

Memeza went on to talk about how the “pulldown syndrome” among women has to come to an end.

“We will never win this battle if we pull each other down as sisters.” At the top executive level at SANRAL, there are only two women, Memeza noted.

“But we are trying, and as long as I am in leadership of this organisation, we will always put the needs of women first and try to understand our issues better. We will continue to work towards our transformation objectives and towards the empowerment of black people, especially women, in meaningful roles in the organisation,” she said.

Memeza said women needed to benefit more in the construction and engineering sectors, including in the way tenders are written and awarded.

“Only one in five engineers in South Africa is a woman. That tells us that a lot needs to happen,” she said.

To this end, women do not need to “imitate men”, but should push forward simply as human beings in a competitive world, she said.

“I have never liked the reference to being the first black woman. I would like to believe that the SANRAL board appointed me based on my competence.

Memeza said her time at SANRAL will be spent trying to influence policy that will open doors for women in the company.

Referring to the hurts of the past that suppressed black people, especially women, Memeza encouraged people to seek healing.

“I see my psychologist every week. It is not a taboo to seek help, to heal, because you become a stronger person,” she said, adding that SANRAL employees have access to free counselling services.

The seminar kicked off with a vibrant discussion between four panelists: Vusi Mona, General Manager: Marketing and Communications at SANRAL, Mbuyiselo Botha, gender activist on the Commission of Gender Equality and spokesperson for Sonke Gender Justice, Pearl Zhou, SANRAL’s Strategy Implementation Monitoring Manager and Beverly Ditsie, lesbian activist, artist and filmmaker.

Mona recognised that men like himself are “socialised, through culture and religion, into gender roles that confine and enslave us”.

“We have to be conscious in breaking down those stereotypes,” he said.

Mona added that, in breaking the cycles of gender-based violence (GBV), men also needed to hold each other accountable, and not treat these incidents lightly.

“Unless we do that, GBV will continue to be a vicious circle, and we will celebrate 16 Days of Activism, but afterwards it’s business as usual,” he said.

“At a national level, we tried (to heal) at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, but it was unfinished business. We didn’t hold people accountable, and it has to cascade down from national level to communities to families, to men. Let’s confront the past and current demons,” he said.

Ditsie agreed, saying those who bullied or allowed victimisation of people who didn’t fall into gender stereotypes needed to be held accountable.

For its part, SANRAL had introduced a series of events for men during the year, which would serve to bring gender discussions into mainstream dialogue in the organisation, Mona said.

It was important to continually deliberate about gender roles and how these play out, Botha said.

“Statistics tell us that women-led households are 60%. It’s not because there are no men, it’s because men themselves have been abandoned. Boys need to be assured that it’s OK to be vulnerable, to be emotional, to cry,” he said.

Zhou noted that at the same time, women needed to emancipate themselves “by living out the reality of who we truly are”.

“We need to ask, who is setting these norms on my behalf? It’s about introspecting and asking how I live my life,” she said.

New Musina Ring Road breathes life into border town

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MEDIA RELEASE

Heavy-duty vehicles will no longer cause congestion in the Musina CBD thanks to the newly constructed Musina Ring Road

 

 New Musina Ring Road breathes life into border town

Limpopo, 31 August 2022 – Construction of the new Musina Ring Road, set to be officially launched by National Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula on Thursday, was a financial boon to the tune of millions for residents and small-and-medium businesses in the town.

The R640-million South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) project provided much-needed work opportunities for a number of locals and Musina SMMEs.

The Musina Ring Road, which diverts the N1 traffic around the border town, is currently open to traffic, much to the relief of motorists, business leaders and taxi organisations.

Owen Simba, site manager at local business Makali Construction said: “My construction company built the bridges and the culverts at an investment of R114-million. We created jobs for 12 skilled labourers as well as 23 local general workers.

“As the project progressed, we added more people. SANRAL is committed to creating equitable access for small contractors, particularly black-owned enterprises through its procurement processes.”

Hennie Kotze, project engineer for SANRAL’s Northern Region, said the new road brings much-needed relief to roads in the Musina central business district, where trucks travel to and from the Beitbridge border post, gateway to many Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries that trade with South Africa.

Before the Ring Road, more than 1 000 heavy-duty vehicles and trucks used the N1, passing through the Musina CBD daily, causing significant damage to the road infrastructure in the town.

Intersections and lower speed restrictions created heavy traffic congestion – and heavy passing traffic resulted in acrimony with locals.

“I am confident that road users and residents are enjoying the benefits of the newly constructed Musina Ring Road,” said Kotze.

Cross-border truck driver Joseph Masinire, from Zimbabwe, said the new road would ease congestion between Musina and Beitbridge border post, and save travel time.

“We used to experience traffic congestion as a result of the many trucks travelling to and from the border post. This caused heavy delays, which became worse during Easter, the festive season and on long weekends,” he said.

Musina business leader Mosses Matshivha said the new road would reduce dust blown up by traffic which created health hazards for residents.

He said it would also save travel time for road users and reduce vehicle operating costs.

“This road will improve the quality of life for Musina residents, while improving economic activity and helping economic recovery in the far north of the country.

“Our businesses will do well because heavy-duty vehicles are no longer sharing the narrow roads with local road users and pedestrians. Heavy vehicles passing through the Musina CBD were posing a danger to pedestrians and were overshadowing our premises,” said Matshivha.

Kaizer Phiri, chairperson of the Musina Nancefield Taxi Association, said taxi operators gave credit to SANRAL for designing a “classy road network”.

“Musina was now looking like Gauteng and Durban when it comes to road infrastructure,” said Phiri.

“The opening of this road also comes as a huge relief to us as taxi operators, pedestrians and all road users in the area.

“People around Musina are excited to see the new road as it alleviates congestion in the CBD,” Phiri said.

Titus Madamalala, vice chairperson of the Mus-Shuttle Taxi Association, said customers were over the moon that metered taxis were operating on a state-of-the-art road network which was a catalyst for socio-economic development. 

Musina Local Municipality mayor Godfrey Mawela was excited about the job opportunities that the project brought to his town and was thankful to SANRAL for its investment in SMMEs and local labour. 

PERIODIC MAINTENANCE ON THE NATIONAL ROUTE 5 (N5) SECTION 2 IN PAUL ROUX – VALS RIVER

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MEDIA STATEMENT

PERIODIC MAINTENANCE ON THE NATIONAL ROUTE 5 (N5) SECTION 2 IN PAUL ROUX – VALS RIVER

Bloemfontein – 30 August 2022 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has announced the award of the contract for periodic maintenance on National Route 5 (N5) Section 2 in the Thabo Mofutsanyane District.

“The works is on the 18km stretch of the N5 section 2 from Paul Roux to Vals River and entail repairs and resurfacing. Actophambili Roads (Pty) Ltd is the appointed contractor while Q&A Consulting Engineering Services and Project Management (Pty) Ltd are the consulting engineers on the project,” said Lwanda Sigaji, SANRAL’s Eastern Region Project Manager.

The construction phase of the project commenced in February 2022. The contract will run over the 12-month period. Upon completion of construction work, SANRAL will officially reopen the entire road section for full use.

“Temporary lane closures and occasional stop/go control will be carried out. Speed reduction will also be imposed, and motorists are advised to take note of the construction activities and to be observant of the advance warning signs and restrictions when travelling past the construction work zones,” said Sigaji.

SANRAL presents scholarship and bursary opportunities for learners in Gauteng and North Wes

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PRESS RELEASE

SANRAL presents scholarship and bursary opportunities for learners in Gauteng and North West

 

Pretoria, 29 August 2022 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) recently visited several communities in Gauteng and the North West provinces on a drive to encourage high school learners to apply for scholarships and bursaries opportunities presented by the roads agency.

The three-day programme – led by Ms Jullecsia Saul, Stakeholder Coordinator for SANRAL northern region – started on 19 August 2022 at the Rabasotho Community Hall in Thembisa where a total of 15 schools attended the event to learn more about the opportunities. This was followed by visits to the Eersterust Civic Centre in Tshwane (Pretoria) and, finally, the Madiba Banquet Hall in Potchefstroom in the North West province.

Saul says the roads agency’s investment model for skills starts with development and support through the scholarship and bursary programme.

“SANRAL has long since recognised the importance of skills development for youth in the country, and with more young people increasingly filling leadership roles in the built environment, now is the perfect time to engage the learners,” she said.

The SANRAL scholarship programme was historically developed to give financial support to learners from Grade 10 to Grade12, ideally those who excel in mathematics and science, but to promote a more inclusive support structure, it had to change some of its policies to expand the reach.

Saul said the scholarships were previously limited to learners in Grade 10 to 12, but now they are available for learners from Grade 8 to 12, irrespective of their subject choice. Bursaries will longer be limited to funding Engineering studies, it will also be available to full-time students studying Law, Public Administration, Finance, Human Resources, Supply Chain, Public Relations, and other subjects. Also, where learners previously required a 70% overall aggregate to be eligible for consideration, they now require 60% with a view to improving their aggregate to 70%.

The scholarship covers:

  • Registration and school fees
  • Hostel accommodation (where applicable)
  • School and sport uniform
  • Books and prescribed stationery
  • TransportThe bursary covers:
  • Registration and tuition
  • Accommodation and meals
  • Study material and equipment
  • Living allowance
  • Access to wellness programmeLearners and teachers welcomed this initiative and regard it as very important, particularly for learners from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Orapeleng Tsawane, a grade 12 learner at Seiphemelo Secondary School in Potchefstroom, was happy about the information he received regarding the opportunities. “My expectations were met. I received the information that I was looking for. It is now my responsibility to put more effort into my studies and improve my results. I would like to encourage my fellow Grade 12 learners to be open-minded in their approach of obtaining information regarding career options. I have learned during the SANRAL activation that there are more careers with available funding opportunities,” said Tsawane.

Sean Lekgoathi, a teacher at Phiri Secondary School in Ventersdorp, said SANRAL’s initiative to share information about scholarships and bursaries is a good approach as learners used it as a platform to seek clarity regarding the application process, the closing date and resources to consult if more information is needed.

“We are looking forward to engaging with SANRAL in the coming year as we will be inviting more learners from our school to be part of this process. Most of the learners in public schools are from disadvantaged backgrounds. Knowing this information will motivate them to put more effort in their studies and apply for these opportunities which can potentially change their situation at home in the future,” said Lekgoathi.

SANRAL encourages all interested individuals to apply for scholarships and bursaries before the closing date of 30 September 2022. Further information regarding the bursaries, scholarships and applications forms can be found on the SANRAL website on www.nra.co.za.

Anatomy of a pothole

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MEDIA RELEASE

Anatomy of a pothole

Gauteng, 28 August 2022 – Operation Vala Zonke, the national Transport Department’s pothole repair campaign spearheaded by the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL), is quickly gaining momentum as reports pour in daily on the SANRAL pothole APP.

As repairs get underway in various municipalities around the country, we turn our investigative eye on the irksome pothole itself – that much-cursed South African malady that President Cyril Ramaphosa declared war on earlier this year.

Like everything made for the outdoors, roads are worn down by use and eroded by weather. This together with constantly high traffic volumes including, an ever-growing number of heavy vehicles, requires the roads to take enormous strain and if not adequately maintained will deteriorate including the formation of potholes.

Amongst other things, potholes are formed by high or very low temperatures causing cracks in the road surface. These cracks get wider over time and rainwater would seep in, eroding the underlying layers of crushed rock and gravel.

Passing traffic stresses the road surface further, until it loses strength and collapses, and breaks away from the surface. The small gap caused by this absent piece of surface grows in size as more water and traffic penetrates the underlying layers. That is why we generally see more potholes forming during rainy seasons.

Key to preventing potholes is regular routine road maintenance to ensure rain or storm water flows off the road surface as quickly as possible. Regular routine road maintenance should also ensure that there a natural unimpeded slope away from the road on either side, so that water runs off into a ditch or roadway drainage system. Maintenance activities like regularly cleaning stormwater culverts and grass cutting are therefore essential.

In some cases, especially on narrow rural roads, the weakest spot is where the surface meets the verge. If the traffic volumes on these roads are high, including a high percentage of heavy vehicles, then certain parts of the surface edges will deteriorate. These are generally referred to as edge breaks which if left unattended to will propagate towards the outside wheel path, thus also forming a pothole.

“While poor maintenance is often cited as the main cause of potholes, the damage caused to roads by heavy vehicles, especially overloaded vehicles, is a major contributing factor. Heavy vehicle using roads which were not designed to carry such loads, is a serious concern. Overloaded heavy vehicles cause the greatest amount of damage to roads, even in a single instance of transgression. A single overloaded axle and associated wheel pressures that are above the permissible limits, will have a detrimental impact on the asset value of the road, causing longer term damage of which potholes are one of the symptoms,” said Randall Cable, SANRAL Western Region Manager.

Tackling the pothole pandemic in SA is not a simple matter of slapping on a hot-asphalt band aid and steering away from the problem.

The commitment from national government, SANRAL and other road authorities, has to be supported by the public. Reporting potholes via the SANRAL APP will ensure that Operation Vala Zonke delivers on its promise to fix potholes on all SA roads, said National Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula during the launch in Gauteng earlier this month.

The APP, available on IOS and Android phones, has moved beyond its bumpy start, when it wasn’t available for Android for a few days. Technical glitches in the registration and sign-in process – and the ‘select an issue’ tab – have been ironed out and the app is now running on both platforms, according to SANRAL APP project manager Andrew Mac Kellar.

“The pothole reporting function is running smoothly now, although we are still working on the feedback function. The important thing is that potholes are being reported to the maintenance teams concerned, and we are streamlining that process further,” says Mac Kellar.

Pothole repair is also a costly business. According to Mbalula, the cost of fixing a single pothole is between R700 and R1,500/per square meter. The process of fixing a pothole is down to an exact science:

The pothole is cleaned out. Dirt and debris in the pothole are removed. Having pieces of broken asphalt mixed in with the new asphalt can weaken the repair.

The pothole is reshaped. Straight edges are cut “around” the pothole and old asphalt is removed.

Primer and new asphalt. The pothole is primed, and new asphalt is used for the repair. The asphalt is compacted after being applied to minimise water penetration and increase its resistance. The compaction also creates a bond between the old and new asphalt.

Clean-up. Any debris left around the repair is removed. Most pothole repairs can be driven on immediately.

Otsile Mpela, MD of Bafenyi Asphalt, cites poor workmanship as one of the greatest obstacles to achieving quality pothole fixing and edge-break repairs.

“It is imperative that the correct procedure is applied. The first thing to do is to develop a checklist of the equipment and tools required, including good quality cold asphalt,” he says.

In the execution phase, a concrete saw is used to cut out the existing asphalt around the pothole or edge-break. “A proper square cut is required if you are patching a pothole.” Mpela says that after cutting and preparing, it’s important to use SS60 primer, which serves as a glue to hold the cold-asphalt and base together. “You can use a hard-broom to spread it around and cover the whole exposed area. Leave it for three to five minutes before you apply your asphalt, which is spread around with a rake. ”

“While you are compacting, the poured asphalt will start to go down. Keep pouring asphalt until it is level with the existing surface.” A five to 10-minute compacting period follows.

The SANRAL Pothole app is free and is 17.2 MB in size. The app has received a ratings and review score of 2.9 out of 5, up from 2.3 out of 5 earlier this month. The APP is easy to download and open and you can start reporting potholes immediately after registration. The App opens up a little camera which you use to take a picture of the pothole, while the system automatically records the GPS location,” says Mac Kellar.

The information then gets assigned to the relevant authority, depending on the location of the road, and the responsible maintenance depot attends to fixing the pothole.

“The person reporting the pothole gets a notification that the report has been received, and one when the pothole has been fixed. Even if a lot of people report the same pothole, they will all receive these notifications,” Mac Kellar assures South Africans.