Name and Location
R23, Section 2 rehabilitation project, Mpumalanga, South Africa.

Client
South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral).

Project Description
The rehabilitation project entails the reconstruction, including additional pavement layers and passing lanes, of national road R23 from Standerton to Greylingstad, in Mpumalanga. The total distance is 56 km; however, the 4 km section of road in the urban area of Standerton has been excluded from this contract, resulting in the total length being 52 km.

The existing road is a two-lane single carriageway road, with gravel shoulders on either side. The lane widths of the road are generally 3.6 m to 3.7 m, while those of the gravel shoulders vary at about 2.5 m.

The work scope entails the rehabilitation and strengthening of the existing road by removing the thick bituminous surfacing layers and adding a new cement stabilised subbase, a crushed-stone base and surfacing layers.

In some instances, the subbase and selected layer material will be pretreated with lime to improve the quality of the materials.

The entire upper selected layer will be reconstructed. The road will also be widened to accommodate climbing lanes.

Structural works to improve the hydraulic capacity of the structures include the upgrading and widening of several bridges and major culverts, owing to the widening of the road.

The vertical alignment of the road will also be improved at the structures.

Value
The project is valued at R637-million.

Duration
The project is expected to start in March and take an estimated 36 months to complete.

Latest Developments
Roadcrete Africa, a subsidiary of Basil Read, has been the awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of the road.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Roadcrete (rehabilitation contract).

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Sanral, tel + 27 12 844 8000 or fax +27 12 844 8200.
Basil Read, tel +27 11 418 6300 or fax +27 11 418 6333.