Upgrades to the vital N11 corridor will resolve the chronic traffic congestion and reduce road carnage, providing greater mobility, increased safety, and reduced travel time. The N11 corridor is integral to the economic growth of Southern Africa, as it links the Port of Durban (via the N3) with the mining towns of Mpumalanga province and neighbouring countries in the SADC region. Currently the route is a single carriageway, with one lane in each direction. Work on the N11 will include the widening of existing bridges, construction of a new road-over-rail bridge, upgrades to existing intersections and the addition of new lanes. Within Ladysmith the road will also be upgraded. By unbundling the contracts into two phases and multiple work packages, SANRAL endeavours to provide opportunities to multiple companies and to ensure greater participation of established and emerging contractors in the project. The total number of full-time equivalent direct jobs to be created is 850. An estimated R200 million will be spent on local labour wages, while R875 million will be spent on targeted black-owned enterprises (SMMEs) over the next 6 years.