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Transport Minister Barbara Creecy Applauds Progress made by SANRAL on Motherwell to Addo Project
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy led a high-level site inspection of SANRAL’s R335 national road from Motherwell to Addo
Gqeberha, 16 April 2025 – Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has applauded progress made by the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) in improving the R335 national road from Motherwell to Addo in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape.
Minister Creecy, accompanied by Transport Deputy Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa, Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mayibuye, Eastern Cape MEC for Transport and Community Safety Xolile Nqatha, Nelson Mandela Bay Executive Mayor Babalwa Lobishe, and senior executives from SANRAL, embarked on a site inspection of the R335 road from Motherwell to Addo today (Monday).
“We are fully aware of the dangers that this road poses to road users in the area and, working together with SANRAL, we are finding a solution to ameliorate the road safety dangers caused by lack of streetlights and potholes on it,” said Creecy.
The upgrading of the road will include the widening of the on and off-ramps of the R335 to the N2 national road, drainage improvements, horizontal alignment, upgrading of 2
intersections that the road traverses through, construction of walkways, as well as streetlights.
“Close to 22 kilometres of this road will be reconstructed, with over three kilometres to be upgraded to dual carriageway, including traffic circles in the urban section of the road. Work that will be done on the almost 19 kilometres section of the rural section will include fencing, widening the existing road to allow for surfaced shoulders on both sides and to allow for a passing lane on the inclined sections,” said Mbulelo Peterson, SANRAL’s Provincial Head for the Eastern Cape Province.
The project started in August 2023, and it is expected to be completed in March 2027.
Working together with the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, SANRAL has identified community development projects within the Motherwell area in the upgrade of the road. These projects entail improving pedestrian mobility (walkways) and local access roads which will benefit local communities.
“The local community has also expressed its appreciation about the on-going initiative by the site staff to bring students from nearby schools to the project, allowing them to gain hands on experience and insight about the civil engineering profession.”
“A total of 301 people are employed of which 81 are local labour, 131 skilled labour and 10 students undergoing experiential training on this project. We have also provided internships to young students to work on this project. These figures will increase as we move into the next phase of the project,” added Peterson.
The local community has embraced the project positively, and emerging contractors working on the project have been assisted greatly, with some gaining eligibility to upgrade their Construction Industry Development Board’s (CIDB) grading to the next higher levels.
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