North West, 31 October 2022 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) recently hosted a stakeholder-led engagement meeting with residents and SMMEs at The Trim Park in Potchefstroom to share information regarding opportunities available from the current routine road maintenance and upgrade projects.

Stakeholder relations co-ordinator for SANRAL’s northern region, Jullecsia Saul, said ‘Taking SANRAL to the People’ was in line with SANRAL’s fourth pillar of stakeholder relations, meaning this engagement was important for stakeholders to be consulted about all project-related activities that affected communities.

“SANRAL’s mandate is not only focused on building roads but to also empower local enterprises and create job opportunities for ordinary members of the communities, especially in the areas where the national road network traverses,” she said.

During the engagement, the SANRAL project management team presented an update on the routine road maintenance project on national roads R53, R54, R500, R501 and N12 that would include clearing side drains and culverts, vegetation control, line-marking, road signs repairs and guard rail repairs.

SANRAL’s project manager in the Northern Region, Gertrude Soko, said the contract was worth a combined R56 million. The work started in November 2020 for three years, and 50% of the contract value would be allocated to targeted enterprises for subcontracting.

“In November 2021, we appointed subcontractors with Grade 1 and 2 CIDB for 12 months. That period is almost over and it’s time to appoint new subcontractors for another 12 months to do maintenance work on the roads mentioned,” said Soko.

SANRAL will also implement a R800 million upgrade on the R501 national road, from Potchefstroom to Carletonville that will include the upgrade of the road from single carriageway to a dual carriageway with a median in between, the widening of bridges and the construction of new bridges where there is a need.

Tenders will be advertised on local media platforms such as community newspapers. Information regarding the tender advertisements will also be published on municipality notice boards and through the Public Liaison Committee (PLC) structures.

SANRAL will also engage stakeholders through information sessions to communicate the dates for tender advertisements, dates for the tender briefing, list of returnable documents, SANRAL tender evaluation process, and common errors when bidding such as not attending the compulsory tender briefing or submission of expired or non-compliant documents.