2017

KWAZULU-NATAL

The N2 along the KZN coast and the N3 running up into Gauteng are the economic arteries that keep the provincial economy healthy. SANRAL is constantly upgrading and maintaining them, improving mobility, productivity and road safety, creating jobs and helping communities

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2 | Building South Africa through better roads

MESSAGES

SANRAL RESHAPING KZN

Mxolisi Thomas Kaunda

TRANSPORT infrastructure in KwaZulu-Natal is going to be one of the key drivers of radical economic transformation to promote growth and development and eradicate the triple challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality.

Investment in roads infrastructure upgrades, especially in rural and underdeveloped communities, will bridge the inequality gap in society, create jobs and address poverty.

Increased state-led infrastructure investment will create thousands of employment opportunities while improving the quality of life.

SANRAL has current and pipeline projects worth more than R21.6bn that will redefine the safety and convenience aspects of road transport infrastructure. The new interchange at Kwabhoboza has been completed and is improving the safety of both the pedestrians and motorists. The newly constructed traffic control centre at Eteza is fully operational. This will curb overloading on the N2 north, thereby improving safety. Law enforcement and overload control is fully operational at the newly constructed overload control centre at Mooi River.

In addition to this, R29.8bn has been estimated for the upgrading of the N2 from Isipingo to Mhloti and N3 from Durban to Cedara outside Pietermaritzburg, which is unfunded at this stage.

I am pleased to note that automated payment is being deployed at all toll plazas in KZN, with the remaining N2 North Coast toll route coming online in June 2017. This will make passage through our toll plazas more convenient and much quicker. As a province we see this system, the Shesha lane, as improving traffic flow, not as leading to the introduction of new tolls on roads in the province.

SANRAL’s commitment to foster entrepreneurship is remarkable in that R3.56bn was spent on SMMEs during the 2015/16 financial year, with R1.9bn being earned by 1 004 black-owned enterprises, many of which are KZN-based.

As government, we are committed to deliver on our mandate to provide good and well-maintained roads as arteries for economic growth – and also to provide access to economic opportunities for our people.

Mxolisi Thomas Kaunda is the KZN MEC for transport

Logashri Sewnarain

How important are roads in KwaZulu-Natal?With KwaZulu-Natal’s population centres separated by vast distances, road transport infrastructure is critical to sustaining communities, growing our economy and improving our international competitiveness.

Investment in roads infrastructure upgrades, especially in rural and underdeveloped communities, bridges the inequality gap in society, creates jobs and addresses poverty.

What are some of the major projects?SANRAL is progressively reshaping the KwaZulu-Natal landscape with current and future projects worth more than R21.6bn that will redefine the safety and convenience aspects of road transport infrastructure.

A new interchange at Kwabhoboza has been completed at a cost of R242m and will improve the safety of pedestrians and motorists. Extensive overloading of trucks has resulted in a marked deterioration in the condition of the province’s road network. Thus overload control is vital. The law enforcement and overload control is fully operational at the newly-constructed overload control centre at Mooi River. The newly-constructed traffic control centre at Eteza which, including an adjacent interchange, cost R412m, is now fully operational. This will curb overloading on the N2 north, thereby extending the life of the pavement and improving safety.

The major upgrade to the R1.1bn Mt Edgecombe interchange is nearing completion.

A new 34km dual carriageway worth R1bn, on the N2 between Mtunzini Toll Plaza and Empangeni on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, is aimed at coping with the increased traffic volumes on one of the country’s key arterial roads.

What are the other major projects in the pipeline?An amount of R29.8bn has been estimated for the upgrading of the N2 from Isipingo to Mhloti and the N3 from Durban to Cedara outside Pietermaritzburg, which is unfunded at this stage.

Upgrading of the vital N3 is essential if one of government’s strategic integrated projects linking the Port of Durban with Gauteng, South Africa’s economic heartland, is to succeed.

How is SANRAL helping to develop SMMEs and create jobs?SANRAL’s commitment to foster entrepreneurship is remarkable. On current projects under construction in KZN, R259m has been placed in the hands of 133 SMMEs while R312m has been spent on labour. In addition, an amount of R5m has been spent on providing training for 1 649 people in various skills.

Logashri Sewnarain is SANRAL’s Eastern Regional Manager

TACKLING TRIPLE

CHALLENGES

Hello Kwazulu-Natal | 3

ENGINEERING

THE construction of a major interchange on the N3 at Hammarsdale, between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, is being fast-tracked as a result of the partnership between SANRAL and eThekwini municipality. They will share the cost of the project.

Jason Lowe, SANRAL Eastern Region Project Manager, said the agency was approached by eThekwini to advance the construction of the interchange, as it had several development applications for freight logistics parks, which would excessively strain the existing interchange if approved.

“Since SANRAL had already completed the preliminary design for the interchange, had delayed implementation due to budgetary constraints and the municipality required further logistics parks at Hammarsdale and Cato Ridge, it was agreed to implement the construction under a cost-sharing model.”

Lowe said it was agreed that SANRAL would carry 66% of the cost during the construction phase only,

with eThekwini footing its share of 34%, capped at R93.5m.

The benefit of such a partnership is that there can be timeous implementation of the project, leading to infrastructure construction matching the predicted traffic demand.

Lowe added that since freight logistics parks chiefly generate heavy-vehicle traffic, the proposed interchange will be able to handle this traffic as well as the expected growth in light-vehicle traffic.

The existing layout would have been gridlocked if the new freight logistics parks were developed without the interchange being upgraded.

The intersection of the N3 and MR385 is being upgraded from a simple diamond interchange to a new semi-parclo (partial clover leaf), free-flow interchange.

The Keystone Park Light Industrial, Warehousing and Logistics Precinct under development will house the new Mr Price distribution centre which, it is believed, will be the biggest in Africa.

Keystone Park is located within the primary growth corridor between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, identified in terms of the Provincial Spatial Economic Development Strategy.

The importance of the corridor has been reinforced by the country’s New Growth Plan, National Development and National Infrastructure Plans and prioritised for accelerated implementation in terms of the Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs), where the Durban-Free-State-Gauteng logistics and industrial corridor is being developed as SIP2.

The greater Hammarsdale/Mpumulanga community is one of the poorest in the eThekwini metro and for them it is vital to have jobs close to their homes.

The new interchange, which is expected to be completed by November 2018, will also accommodate the proposed widening of the N3 between Durban and Pietermaritzburg to eight lanes.

SEVERAL plant species, including a range of specially protected bulbs and aloes growing along the busy N3, have been translocated to a temporary nursery to save them from being destroyed during the upgrade of the Hammarsdale interchange.

SANRAL and the eThekwini Municipality Environmental Planning Department have worked together to ensure that road development would not place rare flora at risk.

Hence, plants such as aloe arborescens, aloe ferox, aleo maculate, ledebouria floribunda, ledebouria ovativfloia and hypoxis hemerocallidea were transplanted. Motorists who use this route regularly expressed happiness that plants that lay in the way of road works had been saved for re-planting when the construction work is complete.

Santha Naidoo of Durban said: “I use this route quite often and have always admired the variety of vegetation on either side of the N3. SANRAL must be complimented for its environmental stewardship.”

SANRAL Eastern Region project manager Jason Lowe said: “The indigenous plants occupied areas where construction of the new ramps for the interchange was going to occur and would have been damaged or destroyed by construction machinery and blasting if they were not removed.”

SANRAL & CITY FAST TRACK INTERSECTION

ALOES ALONG N3 RELOCATED

4 | Building South Africa through better roads

PROJECTS

ROAD maintenance – routine and ad hoc – is hugely important, as it extends the life of the infrastructure and contributes to job creation.

Dumisani Nkabinde, SANRAL’s Eastern Region Operations & Maintenance Manager, said the agency had invested substantially in setting up an Asset Management System, which has as one of its main components a Pavement Management System (PMS).

“The PMS is periodically fed with road-condition information, which includes annual traffic counts, riding quality index, pavement type and surface dressing.

“The PMS has the ability to predict the timing of a particular road section’s future pavement distress and a recommendation of the required treatment. This maintenance is thus called Preventative Maintenance.”

He said there is considerable saving of funds due to the provision of road maintenance. Without maintenance, a road with a design life of 30 years can easily deteriorate to an unacceptable level of service within 15 years.

At its Eastern Region office in Pietermaritzburg, SANRAL has had steady growth in the number of SMMEs taking part in its routine road maintenance programme.

“There are nine routine maintenance contracts on the national roads within KwaZulu-Natal province, with expenditure in excess of R156m for the 2016/17 financial year.

“Approximately R55m has been spent on black enterprises. In 2015, SANRAL decided to attend to the social needs of the workers employed by the routine road maintenance contracts and initiated a wellness programme,” said Nkabinde.

The wellness programme is already bearing fruit and this is evident from the high morale and productivity of the staff.

On the preventative maintenance side, SANRAL has spent R660m for the 2016/17 financial year to ensure that the life of its infrastructure is extended and not compromised.

MT EDGECOMBE: GETTING TO KNOW YOUTHE mammoth construction site of the Mt Edgecombe Interchange has become a veritable academy for engineers, transport officials, surrounding residents and the public.

Since construction commenced in April 2013, there has been widespread interest in the project – especially because of its complexity and length of the ramps – and a concerted effort has been made to share information relating to the project.

Corné Roux, Project Manager for SANRAL’s Eastern Region, said knowledge transfer has been an important aspect of the improvements being undertaken at the N2/M41 Mt Edgecombe Interchange north of Durban, connecting Phoenix and uMhlanga with Durban and the North Coast of KwaZulu-Natal.

“Due to the magnitude and central location of the project, it was anticipated that the project would attract interest from professionals as well as members of the public.

“With that in mind, a 2.4 x 1.5m scale model of the final upgraded interchange was constructed and placed in a large meeting room at the offices of the consulting engineers near the site.

“The scale model has proved to be invaluable through the course of construction, catering for various visitors to the site. Visitor groups have been provided with presentations on the background of the project, as well as design considerations and progress.”

Roux said formal visitor groups were also given an on-site tour of the construction facilities, with some even being given an opportunity to walk within the large bridge structures.

Visitors have included members of the SANRAL Board, SANRAL employees and SANRAL bursary and scholarship holders; the partners on the project – eThekwini Transport Authority and KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport staff; students from the Universities of Pretoria, KwaZulu-Natal and Cape Town and Mangosuthu University of Technology; Western Cape Department of Transport; South

African Road Federation; South African Institute of Civil Engineers; Nigerian Institute of Civil Engineers; Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa; eThekwini Fire Brigade and residents from the surrounding area.

The scale model was also placed on display on two occasions at the nearby Gateway shopping centre to showcase the project to members of the public.

Henk Kaal, Senior Engineer: Construction & Pavements at SMEC South Africa – the engineering and development consultants responsible for the design and supervision of the works – said the scale model attracted much public attention and queries comprising both technical and design elements.

Roux said that when construction of the

interchange is completed, it will provide massive relief for motorists. Due to the expansion of the uMhlanga and La Lucia Ridge areas, the existing interchange has been operating at capacity, with vehicles backing up on the M41 and onto the N2 in peak hours.

“An additional 40 000 vehicles enter or leave the N2 from the M41 daily, resulting in substantial queuing of vehicles during the day.

“This, together with expansions and development of the Cornubia area, required the existing interchange to be upgraded to the value of R816m in order to improve the flow to and from the N2 and M41 to the supporting road network.”

KZN ROADS THRIVE THROUGH ROAD MAINTENANCE ALSO CREATES JOBS

Hello Kwazulu-Natal | 5

PROJECTS

Do you regard the upgrade of the N3, especially between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, necessary?It is important for increasing the throughput of logistics on the corridor. It will also have a significant impact in supporting the Cato Ridge Logistics Hub Consortium, which will have an inland port operated by Transnet Port Terminals. Furthermore, the industrialisation of Cato Ridge and growth of manufacturing and warehousing business on the route to Pietermaritzburg will benefit greatly.

What are some of the problems with the present state of the N3?It carries between 40 000 and 120 000 vehicles per day, a mix of urban commuter traffic, long-distance traffic and substantial heavy vehicles. Congestion, lack of infrastructure (sidings) and safety, especially

UPGRADING of the N3 is essential if one of the government’s strategic integrated projects linking the Port of Durban with Gauteng, South Africa’s economic heartland, is to succeed.

Ravi Ronny, Divisional Manager: Construction & Design (Eastern Region) at SANRAL said in excess of 40 million tons of freight per annum are carried on the N3 corridor, with approximately 9 000 heavy vehicles using this national road per day.

“Durban is by far South Africa’s busiest port, with over 80% of goods moving along this corridor by road.

“An economic analysis of the N3 has indicated that within the next 10 years, it will cost the public R775m per annum in lost time if the N3 is not upgraded. The closure of the N3 due to crashes currently results in a loss of about R275 000 per hour to the public in lost time,” he said.

Thus SANRAL is considering, among others, the following projects to upgrade the N3:

• Pietermaritzburg ring road – a realignment around Pietermaritzburg, with a number of options being considered

• Key Ridge realignment – a 3km realignment• Two to three additional lanes per carriageway

between Durban and Cedara During Phase 1, the upgrade between Durban

and Pietermaritzburg is valued at approximately R15bn. Phase 2 will include the Pietermaritzburg ring road and will be required within the next 10-15 years.

N3 IMPROVEMENT VITAL

on sections with two-lane capacity, and steep grades are a concern. These issues create delays in freight delivery turnaround time.

How would the upgrade improve the economy?It will shorten turnaround times for freight vehicles, reduce road incidents and will ultimately lead to better profitability. It will also shorten the travel times for employees who work in the provincial capital, Pietermaritzburg, and reside in Durban and vice versa.

How do you feel about the upliftment of local labour/SMMEs on the project?The Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry supports the use of local labour on this project. As far as possible within the ambit of the project, it is important to promote the development of local

skills and capacities to ensure the economy is well- served, especially in sectors and projects that have been identified as being of particular significance to economic growth.

The recently announced Radical Economic Transformation Framework provides for 30% procurement from black owned entities and has a special focus on SMMEs.

What role do you feel the private sector has in making the most of the proposed project?The private sector has a duty to ensure that through their work, they support preferential procurement policies, enterprise supplier development, local content requirements and also ensure there are corporate social investment initiatives that go hand-in-hand with the work they do.

UPGRADE TO BOOST

LOCAL ECONOMYDumile Cele, CEO of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the N3 upgrade

6 | Building South Africa through better roads

MILESTONES

TIMELINE: MT EDGECOMBE INTERCHANGEConstruction contract commenced

Montgomery Drive widening complete

Bridge B0214 (uMhlanga to N2 north ramp): Piers and pier heads complete

1st test pile completed

Deviation of M41 traffic to temporary intersection

Bridge B0216 (New underpass below M41): complete

Estimated completion

Bridge B0215 (Phoenix to N2 south ramp): 1st launch (from the south)

B0214 (uMhlanga to N2 north ramp): 1st launch

Bridge B0215 (Phoenix to N2 south ramp): 1st launch (from the north)

Ramp B (Phoenix to N2 north) open to traffic

B0214 (uMhlanga to N2 north ramp): last launch

APRIL 2013

APRIL 2014

MARCH 2015

MARCH 2017

JULY 2014

OCTOBER2013

SEPTEMBER2014

FEBRUARY2017

OCTOBER2014

OCTOBER2015

B0125 (Phoenix to N2 south ramp): final launchJULY 2016

NOVEMBER2017

Hello Kwazulu-Natal | 7

COMMUNITY VOICES

FENCES ARE SAVING LIVES ON N3

VANDAL-PROOF fences are being erected at vulnerable sections of the N3 between Durban and Pietermaritzburg to stop pedestrians crossing the busy national road and to prevent unnecessary loss of life.

SANRAL has erected fences on the N3 in the vicinity of the Mariannhill Toll Plaza to prevent hawkers from gaining access to the highway.

Fences have also been erected on the N3, Pietermaritzburg Bypass in the median between Chota Motala Bridge and Ohrtmann Road and in the median opposite the BP Oasis service station at Cato Ridge.

Bruno Cullen, SANRAL’s Eastern Region Project Manager, said pedestrians vandalised the fencing material that was previously used along certain sections to prevent them from crossing the busy highway.

“We have experimented with vandal-proof fences, which have so far proven to be most effective in preventing people from crossing and causing an unsafe environment.”

The fencing, which stands at almost 2.5m high, is manufactured from galvanised, pressed, high-density mesh panels, with anti-cut dimensions of

76.2mm horizontal spacings by 12.7mm vertical strand spacings and has 100mm-high galvanised spikes bolted along the top. It is not possible to climb this type of fence.

Residents of a community adjoining the N3 in the vicinity of Cato Ridge welcomed the erection of the vandal-proof fences.

Lindani Hlengwa, who lives in a settlement called Nine, recalled an accident when a woman was killed while trying to jump over the low median wall to get to a lift on the other side of the highway.

“By erecting the fence on top of the wall, people are now prevented from crossing and this is a good thing.”

Thokozile Nomusa Ntinga said an elderly man was killed when he was hit by a car while crossing the highway before the fence was erected.

Siyabonga Zondi said the fencing forced people to make use of the safe nearby bridge that was built by SANRAL for the community.

“Since the bridge was built and fences erected, we have not heard of any incidents involving pedestrians in this area,” she said.

Sbonelo Mtshali, a local resident, said that before the fences were installed, trucks would park at the

side of the highway and the drivers would walk across to buy things at a shop.

This posed a serious danger to other motorists. Also, pedestrians could not see beyond the truck if there were any cars approaching before crossing.

“The incident rate involving pedestrians has gone down significantly since SANRAL installed the fences and pedestrians are now using the bridge to get across,” he said.

Skhulo Motaung and Zinhle Nzimande urged pedestrians to use bridges rather than risk their lives by crossing the busy highway.

Motaung said that while the fencing may be an inconvenience, it saved lives.

Cullen said it is well-known that approximately 40% of all deaths on South African roads are pedestrians.

“Pedestrians are the most vulnerable group of all road users and road safety is an important priority for SANRAL.

“We invite the cooperation of pedestrians to ensure that lives are not placed in jeopardy through the deliberate and willful destruction of the fencing. While walking to a bridge may take a while longer, it could mean the difference between life and death.

Lindani Hlengwa and Thokozile Nomusa Zinhle Nzimande Skhulo Motaung

8 | Building South Africa through better roads

What is SANRAL?The South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd (SANRAL) was established in April 1998 by an Act of Parliament as an independent company to operate South Africa’s national road network. It is a public company with share capital within the requirements of the South African Companies Act and governed by a board of eight members. The Minister of Transport is the sole shareholder of SANRAL, representing the government.

SANRAL is a state-owned entity (SoE), category 3A, and is not allowed to make a profit. It is not a business enterprise. It is responsible for a national road network of 22 203km. This network is gradually expanding, as a growing number of provinces request the agency to take over the management of their primary roads. SANRAL’s role is to be an implementing agency for road planning, construction and maintenance, on behalf of the Department of Transport.

For which roads is SANRAL responsible?Most of the national roads – the “N” roads – with minor exceptions, such as a stretch of the N14 in Gauteng and the N2 between Cape Town International Airport and the city centre.

There are also some provincial and municipal roads in the Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the North West that have been incorporated into our network.

Why does SANRAL toll its roads?Of our entire network, only 3 120km are tolled. Roads are the arteries of our nation – they connect major cities, towns and villages in rural areas. Roads bring economic growth, tourism and social development, as well as create economic opportunities for all citizens. But they need to be maintained.

Roads deteriorate over time, due to environmental and other influences, such as traffic flow, weather, ultraviolet radiation, truck overloading, etc. And maintenance is not a once-off occurrence – it is continuous. This isn’t just applicable to the road itself, but also to the verges, road markings, grass on the verges and the clearing of debris, among others.

Maintaining roads is extremely expensive, as is upgrading them to keep up with growth and the managing of congestion. To fund this, we cannot rely solely on tax. In these instances, the user-pay principle is applied. This decision is never made lightly or rashly.

Where is SANRAL’s Eastern Region?The Eastern Region comprises KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State and includes 2 881km of road.

What is the condition of SANRAL’s roads in the Eastern Region?The pavement is generally in a good to very good condition due to continuous maintenance. The breakdown is as follows: Fair: 25%, Good: 35%, Very Good: 40%.

What are some of the major projects in the Eastern Region?- Mt Edgecombe Interchange improvements- Dualling the N2 from Mtunzini to Empangeni- Dualling the N1 from Ventersburg to Kroonstad

I would like to work for SANRAL. How do I go about it?SANRAL offers internal and external bursaries to assist aspiring engineers and technical staff to enter the field of road construction. We also encourage 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 contract for work with SANRAL?Construction work is all given out 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, visit 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.

In addition, we have a 48-hour turnaround time, from reporting to repairing of a pothole on our national roads. Should you want to report a problem, simply visit www.nra.co.za for contact details of our regional offices and concessionaires.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS