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Blasting on the R63 between Fort Beaufort and Alice

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TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Immediate
Blasting on the R63 between Fort Beaufort and Alice

Eastern Cape, 20 May 2022: The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) would like to notify travellers that blasting is scheduled to take place between Fort Beaufort and Alice on Wednesday, 25 May 2022.

It is anticipated that blasting will take place between 14:00 and 17:00, approximately 18km from Fort Beaufort, when travelling towards Alice.

The road will be closed during the blast. The duration of the closure will be kept as short as possible.

Motorists travelling southwards towards Alice and King Williams Town may consider using the following alternative routes:

• From Queenstown, follow the N6 to Cathcart, turn right on the R345 to Alice or continue on the N6 to Stutterheim and, on exiting the town, turn right onto R346 to King Williams Town.

• From N10 junction with the R63 towards Fort Beaufort on R63, follow the R67 from Fort Beaufort to Grahamstown to join the N2 to King Williams Town.

• From Whittlesea, follow the R67 towards Seymour, turn left onto the R351 towards Cathcart on the N6, then turn right and continue on the N6 to Stutterheim, turn right onto the R346 to King Williams Town.

Motorists travelling northwards towards Queenstown and westwards towards the N10 or Whittlesea may consider using the following alternative routes:

• From King Williams Town to Queenstown, follow the R346 to Stutterheim, turn left on the N6 to Queenstown.

• From Alice to Queenstown, follow the R345 to Cathcart and turn left onto N6 to Queenstown.

• From King Williams Town towards N10, follow the N2 towards Grahamstown, turn right on the R67 to Fort Beaufort, then turn left onto the R63 towards the N10.

• From King Williams Town towards Whittlesea, follow the R346 to Stutterheim, turn left onto the N6 to Cathcart. Before entering Cathcart, turn left onto R351 to Whittlesea. On reaching the R67, turn right to Whittlesea.

“Motorists are requested to plan their trips, accordingly, consider alternative routes and use caution when making use of the roads,” said Mbulelo Peterson, SANRAL Southern Region’s Regional Manager.

SANRAL apologises for any inconvenience caused.

SANRAL BOARD TO ADDRESS THE MEDIA

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SANRAL BOARD TO ADDRESS THE MEDIA

For immediate release

Pretoria 19 May 2022 – Over the past two days several reports have appeared in the media concerning the cancellation of SANRAL tenders amounting to R17.473 billion. It should immediately be obvious to any right thinking individual that this decision would not have been taken for flimsy reasons.

Contained in these media reports were a number of comments, some of which demonstrated ignorance about how decisions on procurement at SANRAL are made. Some of these comments suggest there are bidders who want to intimidate SANRAL to award them tenders even where that should not be the case.

“Some of these comments came from captains of industry in the construction sector who, it would seem, expect the SANRAL Board to disregard the violation of Board resolutions and the flouting of procurement policies and procedures,” said SANRAL Board Chairperson Mr Themba Mhambi.

The SANRAL Board dismisses these comments as unfactual and at best sensational. The Board will accordingly hold a media briefing on Monday to set the record straight with regard to, inter alia, the following:

• Non-compliance with and violation of its resolution which led to a material irregularity in the tendering process.

• The involvement of external design consultants in the evaluation of tenders and therefore arrogating SANRAL’s power to determine qualifying bidders to external private individuals. This constitutes a material conflict of interest.

• Reduction and cancellation of sub-contracting requirements without Board approval resulting in the exclusion of black economic empowerment companies at sub-contracting level and losing them more than R2 billion.

• Patterns in the allocation of contracts in the past three years to show SANRAL’s support for the industry but also illustrating monopolies which are at the heart of the misinformation about the cancellation of these tenders.

• Recommendation of entities that should have been disqualified.

• Other lapses in the tendering processes.

The SANRAL Board will address the press briefing on Monday 23 May 2022 to expose the deliberate misinformation and distortion of facts that have characterized this story. Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula will join the press conference.

“It is important that we take the country and our stakeholders into confidence about these matters and how our actions are in the best interest of SANRAL and the public,” said Mhambi.

Media must look out for an advisory with the details of the press briefing. Media will be advised as to the details of the press briefing.

SANRAL response to Moneyweb on the cancellation of tenders

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SANRAL response to Moneyweb on the cancellation of tenders

Pretoria 17 May 2022 – For the record, the tenders which Board did not approve the award thereof are the following:

  1. Mtentu Bridge: R3.428 billion
  2. R56 Matatiele rehabilitation: R1.057 billion
  3. Ashburton Interchange: R1.814 billion
  4. EB Cloete Interchange Improvements: R4.302 billion

The Open Road Tolling tender (TCH Operator) valued at R6.872 billion lapsed. The total value is R17.473 billion.

The tenders were cancelled due to a material irregularity in the tender process where a resolution made by the Board in January 2020 was not implemented in the evaluation of the said tenders.

It is common knowledge that for a proper governance environment to exist, Board decisions must be implemented by Management – unless, of course, the argument is about the legality of the Board decision in question. Any alternative to that will result in the breakdown of governance and indeed in chaos, something which SANRAL has hitherto avoided.

Also, Board’s decision was informed by the conclusion of the proactive assurance conducted by Internal Audit and Legal, both of which were bolstered by an external legal opinion.

No prudent Board would have allowed such awards to go ahead in the face of legal opinion and the conclusions reached by Internal Audit.

It is unfortunate that the cancellations will now delay the implementation of critical infrastructure projects. However, it cannot be said that governance procedures must be thrown out of the window because we are all now rushing implementation.

Blasting scheduled at Breidbach Interchange

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TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Immediate

 Blasting scheduled at Breidbach Interchange

Eastern Cape, 16 May 2022: The South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd (SANRAL) wishes to advise that controlled blasting is scheduled to take place at the Breidbach Interchange in King Williams Town at 3pm on Wednesday, 18 May 2022.

The road will be closed during the blast. The duration of the closure will be kept as short as possible.

“Motorists are asked to plan their trips accordingly and to use caution when making use of the roads,” said Mbulelo Peterson, SANRAL Southern Region’s Manager.

SANRAL apologises for any inconvenience caused.

Blasting on the R63 between Fort Beaufort and Alice

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TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Immediate

Blasting on the R63 between Fort Beaufort and Alice

Eastern Cape, 16 May 2022: The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) would like to notify travellers that blasting is scheduled to take place between Fort Beaufort and Alice on Thursday, 19 May 2022.

It is anticipated that blasting will take place between 14:00 and 17:00, approximately 9km from Fort Beaufort, when travelling towards Alice.

The road will be closed during the blast. The duration of the closure will be kept as short as possible.

Motorists travelling southwards towards Alice and King Williams Town may consider using the following alternative routes:

  • From Queenstown, follow the N6 to Cathcart, turn right on the R345 to Alice or continue on the N6 to Stutterheim and, on exiting the town, turn right onto R346 to King Williams Town.
  • From N10 junction with the R63 towards Fort Beaufort on R63, follow the R67 from Fort Beaufort to Grahamstown to join the N2 to King Williams Town.
  • From Whittlesea, follow the R67 towards Seymour, turn left onto the R351 towards Cathcart on the N6, then turn right and continue on the N6 to Stutterheim, turn right onto the R346 to King Williams Town.

Motorists travelling northwards towards Queenstown and westwards towards the N10 or Whittlesea may consider using the following alternative routes:

  • From King Williams Town to Queenstown, follow the R346 to Stutterheim, turn left on the N6 to Queenstown.
  • From Alice to Queenstown, follow the R345 to Cathcart and turn left onto N6 to Queenstown.
  • From King Williams Town towards N10, follow the N2 towards Grahamstown, turn right on the R67 to Fort Beaufort, then turn left onto the R63 towards the N10.
  • From King Williams Town towards Whittlesea, follow the R346 to Stutterheim, turn left onto the N6 to Cathcart. Before entering Cathcart, turn left onto R351 to Whittlesea. On reaching the R67, turn right to Whittlesea.

“Motorists are requested to plan their trips, accordingly, consider alternative routes and use caution when making use of the roads,” said Mbulelo Peterson, SANRAL Southern Region’s Regional Manager.

SANRAL apologises for any inconvenience caused.

SANRAL chairs Mozambique Transport Evolution conference

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Media Release
SANRAL chairs Mozambique Transport Evolution conference

Pretoria, 16 May 2022: The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) was invited to the 2022 Transport Evolution Mozambique Forum and Showcase in Maputo last week.

The event, hosted by Maputo Port Development Company from 10 to 12 May 2022, is the premier event of its kind aimed at uniting hundreds of port, rail and road professionals – all driving the growth and development of the region’s transport sector to discuss future infrastructure and transport solutions for the country and neighbouring states.

According to Le-Ann Hare, Portfolio Director at DMG events South Africa, who organised the event, the forum provides a platform and an opportunity to hear and learn from key decision-makers from transport authorities and public and private sector stakeholders, as they highlight the key challenges facing the industry, such as reducing inefficiencies, achieving regional integration, building effective trade corridors, embracing digitalisation and improving security.

Progress Hlahla, Regional Manager at SANRAL Northern Region, said he was honoured to chair the panel discussion on ‘Roads – Building robust road infrastructure in Mozambique and the region’.

“SANRAL appreciates the opportunity as it will go a long way in advancing knowledge and expertise of infrastructure development in the continent. This symbolises the ongoing strategic partnership between the roads agency and the rest of the continent,” said Hlahla.

He said the event came at the right time when road infrastructure is critical and at the heart of economic development following the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent floods which caused irreparable damage to road infrastructure across South Africa.

“This is quite a critical time for us in terms of advancing road infrastructure. We are aware of the potential of quality roads in unlocking economic activity, particularly for trans-border trading, and we welcome and fully support the efforts that will aid us on this road to economic recovery,” he said.

Among those in attendance was Siphiwo Mxhosa, SANRAL Stakeholder Relations Manager, who also emphasised the importance of the conference in solidifying relations within the Southern African Development Community (SADC), promoting collaborations in engineering skills to advance infrastructure and tackling challenges such as road safety.

Other guests included Alex van Niekerk, CEO, TRAC, South Africa; Alexa-Rae, ESG Project Manager, South Africa; Barbara Mommen, Trade and Transport Corridor Consultant, Coalescence, South Africa; Mmutle Lentle, Technology & Business Strategist & Chair of ICT Sub-Committee, PMAESA, South Africa; and Nchaupe Maepa, COO, Cross-Border Road Transport Agency (CBRTA), South Africa.

Leading suppliers from across the globe also had the opportunity to showcase their latest future-proofed solutions for optimised port efficiency and sustainable rail and corridor expansion.

A follow up event is set to take place in South Africa later in the year. SANRAL will provide updates once all has been finalised.

UPDATE: TRAFFIC ADVISORY SINKHOLE ON NATIONAL ROUTE 3 (N3) CAUSES TRAFFIC DELAYS

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UPDATE: TRAFFIC ADVISORY SINKHOLE ON NATIONAL ROUTE 3 (N3) CAUSES TRAFFIC DELAYS

Pietermaritzburg, 11 May 2022 – A sinkhole has formed on the National Route 3 (N3) southbound after the Key Ridge interchange, the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has announced.
“Two lanes, including the shoulder lane, have been cordoned off with barriers and only one traffic lane is open. The sinkhole is causing major traffic congestion from Peacevale to the Hammersdale interchange,” said Dudley Mbambo, SANRAL’s Eastern Region Operations and Maintenance Manager.

The sinkhole is a result of the torrential rains the province has seen in April which caused the soil to erode from underneath.
“Motorists are advised to approach Key Ridge Interchange cautiously and plan their trips accordingly. Our engineers are on scene to assess the situation and start with repair works,” said Mbambo.

Much needed road infrastructure project to start in Bedford, Eastern Cape

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MEDIA RELEASE
Much needed road infrastructure project to start in Bedford, Eastern Cape

Eastern Cape, 11 May 2022: Much needed jobs will be created once the Special Maintenance road project from the R63/N10 Intersection to Bedford kicks off in the neighbouring towns of Bedford and Cookhouse in the Eastern Cape.

The project, valued at R155 million, will create much-needed job opportunities for community members and SMMEs in the local municipalities of Blue Crane and Raymond Mhlaba, according to Thandile Makwabe, SANRAL Southern Region’s Transformation Officer.

SANRAL hosted an information session in Bedford yesterday (Tuesday, 10 May). The stakeholder engagement was a continuation of the information sessions planned with Blue Crane and Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipalities. SANRAL met with stakeholders in Cookhouse last month to also discuss the R63/N10 to Bedford project information.

“The project also includes a training budget allocated to upskill local SMMEs especially those emerging contractors who are in the lower grades as determined by the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB),” said Makwabe.

The scope of work on this project will include the recycling of existing pavement surface and base layer, replacement of three existing culverts, crack sealing, replacement of defect fencing, as well as the repair of inlet and outlet structures of culverts.

The appointed contractor, Roadspan Surfacing (Pty) Ltd, will start with its three-months mobilisation period in June 2022 and the project is expected to create work for 100 people. It is anticipated that the project will be completed after 18 months.

Vanda Nqunqa, SANRAL Southern Region’s SMME Coordinator, explained the importance of the mobilisation period. “During the mobilisation period the contractor, together with the Project Liaison Committee (PLC), will interact with the community and set up Contract Participation Goals (CPG), which is the amount that will be allocated to small, medium, micro enterprises (SMMEs) development. In addition, databases for preliminary targeted enterprises and targeted labour are compiled. These are some of the tasks being undertaken during the mobilisation period,” said Nqunqa.

Xoliswa Chubana, SANRAL Southern Region’s Community Development Specialist, said that SANRAL’s 14 Point Plan, will assist greatly in ensuring transparency and inclusivity with local communities that will work on the project. “We work with the Project Liaison Committee (PLC) to ensure transparency. SANRAL will chair the PLC and provide secretarial support. Other representation on the PLC will comprise of, the contractor, consultant, business representative, traditional representatives, provincial and municipal government representatives, community representatives and any other critical local stakeholders that may be deemed necessary by the PLC,” said Chubana.

Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality ward councillor Mpho Mahleza said the project was important for the community. “We thank SANRAL for sharing information about the project with the community. The project will bring jobs and upgrade our roads,” said Mahleza.

SANRAL continuously strives to strengthen its relationship with stakeholders who are affected by its projects through these information sessions. The sessions are not only a platform for the roads agency to share information about job opportunities on its projects, but also to share information about its transformation policy and Horizon 2030 Strategy.

Since introducing the Horizon 2030 Strategy, SANRAL has empowered local communities and SMMEs with information, giving them opportunities and enabling them to partner with more established construction companies on its projects.

NATIONAL ROUTE 2 (N2) SECTION 24 TO OPEN BEFORE THE WEEKEND OF 15 MAY 2022

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MEDIA RELEASE

NATIONAL ROUTE 2 (N2) SECTION 24 TO OPEN BEFORE THE WEEKEND OF 15 MAY 2022

Durban, 10 May 2022 – Section 24 of the National Route 2 (N2) Northbound Carriageway between Umzinto and Umgababa which was closed as a result flooding in April is set to reopen, the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has announced.

“The far-left lane on the on the of the N2 on the northern carriageway collapsed and settled by over a meter and moved down the embankment. This resulted in a serious safety issue hence the closure of this section. As a short-term measure, traffic is deviated to the provincial network to the R197 and R102,” said Ravi Ronny.

Speaking during the walkabout on the N2, Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula said that his department and the provincial government will contribute R5 billion towards the repairs on the road infrastructure in the province.

“On 18 April 2022, on declaring the national state of disaster, President Ramaphosa designated SANRAL as the lead agency to lead the extensive work required to repair roads in the province, starting with an immediate focus on the N2 and N3 freeways. Since then, SANRAL has worked with the provincial and municipal authorities in KwaZulu Natal to advance the rebuilding and rehabilitation work required to restore normality to the lives of the people in the province,” said Minister Fikile Mbalula.

To get the traffic back on the road again, a temporary lane is being constructed to get the northbound carriageway reopened. This will assist in further investigations and getting contractors on to the site to start the construction by the end of May. Construction is estimated to take between six to eight months on this section to be completed.

“When the contractors get on site, they will remove the sunken part of the road and work from bottom up to the top. Generally, these contracts take between 12 and 15 months but we will have an accelerated programme to try and finish in a short as possible time period,” said Ronny.

As a result of the work between SANRAL and the provincial government, a consolidated list of affected infrastructure has been compiled and further assessment on the field is still being undertaken by the SANRAL team of engineers. This has enabled SANRAL and the province to prioritise repairs to road infrastructure where communities were completely cut off and others forced to use the national roads and incur costs.

“Our interventions are multi-faceted, ranging from measures to alleviate the economic impact on road users to rebuilding and rehabilitation of infrastructure. Following the declaration of the state of national disaster, I made a request to the SANRAL board to consider suspending toll fees in seriously affected communities. The board took a resolution to suspend the payment of toll fees at the oThongathi and Mvoti plazas on the N2 toll route. This suspension, at a cost of an estimated R400 million over the 18-month period, is meant to assist communities affected by the closure of alternative routes damaged by the floods,” said Mbalula.

SANRAL starts with immediate repairs on N12 in the North West

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Media Release

SANRAL starts with immediate repairs on N12 in the North West

Pretoria, 10 May 2022: The South African National Roads SOC Limited (SANRAL) has deployed construction teams to start with immediate work on the N12 national road in Potchefstroom, Klerksdorp and Wolmaransstad in the North West Province.

Earlier in March the Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula, required the roads agency to act rapidly to address the challenge of potholes and the parts of the N12 which are in an undesirable state and made travelling on the road a nightmare.

Progress Hlahla, SANRAL Northern Regional Manager, says the agency has deployed construction teams and specialists to attend to the matter as quickly as possible following the Minister’s call.

“Following the Minister’s call, we have mobilised a raid response team to deal with the identified issues on the network. We have also mobilised our Routine Road Maintenance (RRM) teams and the existing contractors in the vicinity of the N12 to go and assist,” he said.

Although the identified parts of the network fall under the jurisdiction of the North West provincial government, SANRAL was appointed as an agent for it to carry out the required repair work. SANRAL embraced this role since it has an even greater mandate and responsibility to deliver quality roads for the benefit of all citizens and to promote the free and safe movement of goods and people.

Hlahla said once the work has been completed, the pothole challenges will be gone and the challenge of drainage will be addressed, leaving a much newer, safer road which the citizens can enjoy and be proud of.

“We are an agency at work for our people and we will continue to update the public on further developments and progress of the projects. Ours is a greater task of delivering a good quality road network system and we look forward to partnering with South Africans to achieve this for the foreseeable future,” said Hlahla.