THE rehabilitation of degraded road surfaces was a core focus of the recently completed periodic maintenance project on the national route R410 between Lady Frere and Quiba in the Eastern Cape. The 66.3km road maintenance project, valued at approximately R60m, started at the km1.77 road marker, near Lady Frere, and continued up until the end of section 2 at km51.02. Labour was sourced from the surrounding areas between Lady Frere and Cala in the Emalahleni and Sakhisizwe local municipalities.

But responsible labour sourcing isn’t the only way SANRAL gave back to the local population.

“A community involvement initiative that sought to both uplift and inspire ownership of the road added a collaborative element to this project,” said Mbulelo Peterson, SANRAL’s Southern Region Manager.

The initiative saw the repair and beautification of 44 bus stops along the route. Twelve schools located along the road participated in a bus stop mural competition. Approximately 36 pupils from Grades 7 to 12 were provided with the tools and materials to paint the bus stops in their own designs. R2 000 in prize money was awarded to the top three bus stop murals.

Continues on page 2.