Our impressive 440T mobile cranes were deployed on the N2 Mtunzini-to-Empangeni upgrade project in KwaZulu-Natal for main client SANRAL. Construction commenced in 2016 and completion is due in 2019.

According to SANRAL, this has been acknowledged as one of the largest road infrastructure developments to have commenced in KZN.

The 34 km stretch of road between Mtunzini and Empangeni is known to the locals as the ‘road of death.’ Over the years, there have many countless accidents and hundreds of lives have been taken. Branch Manager of Concord Cranes Richards Bay, Bella Mollentze says, “We feel fortunate to have been involved in this essential infrastructure project, as the upgrade will now make the highway safer for commuters.”

Once the upgrade is complete, the road between Mtunzini Toll Plaza and Empangeni will be a 14m wide dual carriageway.

This new two-lane northbound carriageway includes the construction of two major bridges over the Mlalazi and Mhlatuze rivers, four agricultural overpasses over the N2 will be lengthened and, new bridges will be built at the R34 Empangeni/Richards Bay interchange as well as the P537 Port Dunford underpass.

Two road-over-rail bridges, 16 major box culverts, numerous minor box culverts as well as other drainage structures will be built. The height of two overpasses will be increased by jacking up the bridges.

Concord Cranes, specialists in Mobile Crane Hire, Rigging and Specialised Transport Solutions, were involved in the project in order to provide the cranage needed to erect 30m long bridge beams over a dry riverbed, each weighing 52T. Concord Cranes placed a total of 76 beams at various crossings, just two days before flooding. The Concord team handled the flash flood challenges extremely effectively.

Subsequent to the flooding, 44 beams, 22m in length and each weighing 16T, were placed on the last bridge. All bridge sections were completed in July 2018 and the actual road building has continued. 

Concord Cranes will also be providing the client with a turnkey project solution which will include the supply of cranes, riggers, specialised rigging equipment and extendable trailers to transport the bridge beams.