Travelling between Bloemfontein and Thaba Nchu will become easier and more pleasant. This stretch of the N8 is being substantially upgraded.

The contract value is some R920 million and work is scheduled to be completed in January 2017.
The main challenges faced on site in relation to both tenders has been gaining access to land adjacent to the existing road reserve, which was required to expand the road footprint and finding suitable material for construction.

Jason Lowe, Project Manager at SANRAL Eastern Region, said the rehabilitation and upgrading would result in a road of a higher standard, both in terms of alignment and capacity.

He said the two N8 projects would also set in motion the wheels of transformation, job creation and economic inclusion.

“As far as possible, we always ensure that communities, where we operate, are empowered through local job creation. This gives them ownership and a sense of pride to be associated with a particular project.

Also, the local skills enhancement through on the job training as well as formal training received from the service providers will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

The small businesses that were contracted will also be able to raise their profiles having worked on this project.”