The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) says it will invest more than R76-million in seven new contracts to benefit local communities that live along the N2 Wild Coast Road Project, in the Eastern Cape.

The seven new subcontracting tenders that will be awarded shortly include a bush clearing project east and west of the Mzimvubu river; repairs to the R61 between Ndwalane and Ntafufu roads; repairs to the main roads through Lusikisiki; repairs to the R61 between Lusikisiki and Zalu road; repairs to the R61 between Bukazi and Flagstaff; as well as repairs to the Flagstaff town bypass and road to Holy Cross.

An additional four first-tier tenders have also already been advertised by Sanral in the region and are currently under adjudication.

These include the rehabilitation of the Ingquza Hill Memorial road; upgrading of roads in Ntlavukazi village; upgrading of the DR8004 road from the R61 national road to Bambisana Hospital road; as well as the design of upgrading of the road from Bizana to Mbongweni village.

These four tenders should be awarded by September.

Sanral N2 Wild Coast Road Project manager Craig McLachlan says R278-million has been paid to date to local small, medium-sized and microenterprises, including 28 suppliers, 52 service providers and 27 subcontractors, that are currently undertaking work on the Msikaba Bridge project.

“In addition, R45.9-million has so far been paid in wages to over 300 skilled and unskilled labourers drawn from the surrounding local communities, as well as the surrounding local municipalities of Port St Johns, Ingquza Hill and Winnie Madikizela Mandela.

“We are proud to say that we have already exceeded one of our targets on the Msikaba Bridge project,” says McLachlan.

“The targeted labour for youth is 30% of the total projected wage bill and we have already achieved 102.6% of this target. So far, we have also achieved 45.4% of the target for women employment.”

The Msikaba Bridge project is expected to be completed in May 2024.

Sanral says the tender for the N2 Mtentu Bridge project is “awaiting announcement by its board”.

This project failed at its first attempt to get off the ground, owing to conflict within the community and at the project site, and was retendered.

Roads Transfer
Sanral has also announced that Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has agreed to a request from Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane for some of the province’s roads to be transferred to Sanral.

These include the R61 from Tombo, outside Port St John’s, to Mzamba at the Umtamvuna river; the DR0838 road from the R61 to Cala; the DR08012 road from Maluti to Qachas Nek at the Lesotho border; the DR08031 and DR18031 roads from Viedgesville to Coffee Bay; as well as the MR00710 road from the R61 to the R56 (Satan’s Nek).