Sanral allots R25bn for KwaZulu-Natal roads improvement

There are nine packages under construction on the N2 and N3 in KwaZulu-Natal now to the value of R25bn, Sanral has announced.

In line with Sanral’s transformation objectives, at least R1.1bn will be subcontracted to SMMEs while more than R392m will be spent on local labour.

“The N2/N3 programme is on track since we started in 2021. We now have nine packages under construction, seven on the N3 between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, and two on the N2, which is the KwaMashu to Umdloti and EB Cloete interchange projects in eThekwini,” said Dudley Mbambo, Sanral’s Eastern region acting regional manager.

The R1.2bn KwaMashu interchange to Umdloti project started in August 2021 and is due for completion in the last quarter of 2025. The M41 pedestrian bridge, to be undertaken as a community development and road safety project, is a much-needed safety measure and its completion was of the utmost importance,  Mbambo said.

“We need to ensure the safety of all the road users is prioritised including pedestrians. There are households next to the M41 highway and people crossing to go to work at various places. These people must be provided with a pedestrian bridge that will make it safe to cross the highway,” he said.

Strides have been achieved on the R5bn EB Cloete interchange project, which started in May 2023. Construction was 15% complete at the end of July 2024. The aim was to increase the capacity of the EB Cloete interchange and 8.1km of the N2 and N3 in the vicinity to acceptable service levels, through the addition of new lanes, interchange ramps and carriageways, Sanral said.

“There are now 20 lanes in the interchange and the upgrades will increase the capacity to 32 lanes in all directions. The upgraded interchange and adjacent N2 and N3 will provide additional lanes that will reduce traffic congestion and delays to the travelling public upon completion,” said Mbambo.

The steel arch which is pivotal to the functioning of the interchange is about five-percent of the overall cost to a value of R240m, while the road works and structure cost about R2.5bn and R1.6bn, respectively. 

Exempt micro enterprises (EME) and qualifying small enterprises (QSE) will benefit through the subcontracting of about R1.25bn, with up to 121 subcontract packages and 19 supplier packages expected to be awarded to targeted enterprises.

“Labour is employed from the local community with about R333.6m expected to be spent on hourly wages for the five-year contract period, and R22.6m expected to be spent on training, including 160 learnerships, 150 technical skills, 650 generic skills, and 16 CIDB method 2/3/4,” added Mbambo.

The R4.57bn N3 upgrade project between Key Ridge and Hammarsdale is scheduled to take 51 months to complete. It commenced in May 2023. The steep gradients, excessive superelevation and curvilinear alignment result in many a heavy vehicle overturning at the bottom of the valley, resulting in the closure of the N3 for lengthy periods of time.

This section of the N3 will be realigned to a Greenfields portion resulting in a much straighter alignment with a flatter gradient starting in the south at Key Ridge near the M13 interchange.

“This project which cost R4.57bn was necessitated by the high crash statistics as well as poor condition of the pavement, which is more than 40 years old. The upgrade will benefit safety and an increase to a five-lane divided dual carriageway to improve the level of service for the next 30 years,” concluded Mbambo.