FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is SANRAL’s maintenance plan to ensure that its Eastern Cape roads remain within international standards?
SANRAL effectively maintains its roads through ongoing routine road maintenance contracts. The agency has 19 routine road maintenance contracts for all its roads in the Southern Region.

Which roads are SANRAL responsible for?
Most of the national ones. There are also some provincial and municipal roads in the Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West that have been incorporated into SANRAL’s network.

What are some of the major projects SANRAL is working on in the Eastern Cape?

  • MTENTU BRIDGE
    • Forms part of the N2 Wild Coast road (N2WC) project
    • The project was awarded to the Aveng Strabag Joint Venture (JV) in August 2017
    • The JV partners consist of Aveng Grinaker-LTA, a major South- African-based construction company, and Strabag, a leading construction company in Europe with extensive experience in major balanced-cantilever-methodology bridge construction
    • Construction of the R1.634bn bridge is scheduled to last approximately 40 months.
  • N2 UPGRADE BETWEEN GRAHAMSTOWN AND FISH RIVER PASS
    • This is the second phase of the R980m road infrastructure upgrade project
    • It’s a six- to seven-year project, divided into three phases, and forms part of a long-term strategy to improve the quality of the roads between Port Elizabeth and King William’s Town
    • The upgrade includes various geometric improvements over mountainous terrain. It will improve safety and offer safe overtaking. Once completed, the new road will also ensure travel-time savings for vehicle operators.
  • PHASE 2 AND 3: REHABILITATION PROJECT OF THE N2 FROM BUFFALO RIVER TO BREIDBACH AND THE R63 FROM ALEXANDRA ROAD TO BHISHO
    • Phase two is the realignment of the N2 from Bulembu Airport Road intersection to the Buffalo River Bridge
    • Phase three will include the construction of the Breidbach underpass and partial construction of the Belstone interchange
    • Phase two and three are envisaged to commence mid-2018 and will run concurrently over a construction period of 30 months
    • The first phase of the rehabilitation project of the N2 from Buffalo River to Breidbach and the R63 from Alexandra Road to Bhisho was completed at the end of 2017.

What are some of SANRAL’s future plans for the Eastern Cape?
The N2WC is a major focus in the Eastern Cape. For instance, the tender process for the Msikaba Bridge, which forms part of the N2 Wild Coast Road (N2WCR) project, was reopened in November. The bridge, approximately 23km east of Lusikisiki, forms part of the backbone of the greenfields portion of the N2WCR – a national priority under the coordination and direction of the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission and one of government’s 18 Strategic Integrated Projects to support economic development and address service delivery in the poorest provinces.
Together with the Mtentu Bridge, the Msikaba Bridge will play an essential role in improving travel time, connecting previously divided communities in the region, and opening up opportunities in business and community-based tourism for the Wild Coast.
Direct job creation on the N2WCR greenfields projects has been forecast at 1.8 million man-days or 8 000 full-time-equivalent jobs over the construction period of four to five years.

What is Horizon 2030 and how does the Eastern Cape fit in it?
Horizon 2030 is the new long-term strategy to guide SANRAL’s operations over the next 12 years. Through Horizon 2030, SANRAL wants to highlight the role that the national road network can play in contributing to the aims of the National Development Plan to reduce inequality, support employment and eliminate poverty by the end of the next decade.
The strategy outlines a number of key strategic perspectives that seek to build on SANRAL’s reputation for engineering excellence while also taking into account the changing role of national roads. For instance, Horizon 2030 has elevated stakeholders and road safety into its core pillars, recognising the crucial role these play in SANRAL’s delivery success and in preserving the lives of road users.
The strategy calls for the development of the Roads 2030 long-term plan, public transport enablement, an enhanced role in terms of community development, equitable access to economic opportunities and an integrated funding model.

I would like to work for SANRAL. How do I go about it?
SANRAL encourages skills development in related fields – community and economic development, project management, marketing and communication and general administration.
Please contact our human resources department at 012 844 8000, or send an email to info@nra.co.za

How can I work with SANRAL?
Construction work is awarded on tender. SANRAL’s procurement philosophy is aimed at broad-based BEE. To read the entire Supply Chain Management Policy and Procedure Manual in PDF format and look out for contracts advertised on the SANRAL website, go to www.sanral.co.za

How do I bring road conditions to SANRAL’s attention?
The agency has special maintenance teams in place to respond to unplanned events, such as major incidents or floods, and is able to respond immediately. All SANRAL-managed roads have road signs displaying contact numbers to call, where road conditions on a specific road can be reported.
Should you want to report a problem, simply visit www.nra.co.za for the contact details of regional offices and concessionaires.

Questions answered by Mbulelo Peterson,
SANRAL Southern Region Manager