By ZWANGA MUKHUTHU
Plans are at an advanced stage to build two mega bridges valued at R3.5-billion as part of the N2 Wild Coast toll road.
One of the bridges will go over Msikaba River near the Mkambati Nature Reserve and the other over the Mtentu River just outside Xolobeni.
Sanral Eastern Cape regional manager Mbulelo Peterson said by May 12 when the tender bid closed, 13 construction firms had applied to pre-qualify for the construction of the Msikaba Bridge, while 15 others had applied for the construction of the Mtentu Bridge.
Peterson said Sanral ended up selecting six firms to tender for each bridge. He said tender documents were issued out to the firms last Friday.
“Due to the size and complexity of the two bridges, the tender periods are 18 weeks and 20 weeks respectively for the Mtentu and Msikaba bridges.
“For example, tenders for the Mtentu bridge will close at the end of October, and early November for the Msikaba bridge. Construction of the two bridges will start in early 2017.”
The Msikaba Bridge will consist of a cable-stayed 580m-long structure spanning a deep gorge.
The Mtentu Bridge is located 12km north of Msikaba River and will be a concrete structure 1.1km long.
A Sanral presentation stated that the Mtentu Bridge would have a 260m main span constructed as a balanced cantilever with the main piers approximately 160m high, together with an approach of viaducts constructed using incremental launching methods.
The N2 toll road is a 410km stretch from East London through Butterworth and Mthatha up to the Mtamvuna River on the border between the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
Of the total length, some 112km would be newly built between the Mzimvubu River near Port St Johns and Mtamvuna River near Mzamba.
In the next 10 years, seven additional major river bridges and three interchange bridges will be constructed. This will be complemented by upgrading existing roads and constructing bypasses in Mthatha, Dutywa and Butterworth. Once complete, the route will be 85km shorter than the current route and up to three hours faster, particularly for heavy freight vehicles.
The project will go ahead despite fierce opposition from members of the Amadiba Crisis Committee.
The committee believes the road is planned to serve mining projects by Australian mining company MRC.
Committee leader Nonhle Mbuthuma said the road would cut off more of their farming and grazing land and displace homesteads.
Mbuthuma told the Dispatch yesterday: “If they continue with the road as they are saying they will, we are going to take the matter to court.
“During our last meeting with Sanral, we were not entirely sure where the route is or how many wetlands and species are going to be destroyed. They told us the Environmental Impact Assessment had already been approved.
“For us, it is difficult to talk about the tender process, whereas we don’t even know who is going to be relocated, how many schools will be relocated from Amadiba – they couldn’t answer those questions either.
“They are going to relocate people but people are not aware ... The big question is who is this toll road being pushed for if they don’t want to talk to the people who are going to be affected by the development?”
Peterson said the project would create 6800 direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
R3.5bn plan for two toll road bridges
Plans are at an advanced stage to build two mega bridges valued at R3.5-billion as part of the N2 Wild Coast toll road.
One of the bridges will go over Msikaba River near the Mkambati Nature Reserve and the other over the Mtentu River just outside Xolobeni.
Sanral Eastern Cape regional manager Mbulelo Peterson said by May 12 when the tender bid closed, 13 construction firms had applied to pre-qualify for the construction of the Msikaba Bridge, while 15 others had applied for the construction of the Mtentu Bridge.
Peterson said Sanral ended up selecting six firms to tender for each bridge. He said tender documents were issued out to the firms last Friday.
“Due to the size and complexity of the two bridges, the tender periods are 18 weeks and 20 weeks respectively for the Mtentu and Msikaba bridges.
“For example, tenders for the Mtentu bridge will close at the end of October, and early November for the Msikaba bridge. Construction of the two bridges will start in early 2017.”
The Msikaba Bridge will consist of a cable-stayed 580m-long structure spanning a deep gorge.
The Mtentu Bridge is located 12km north of Msikaba River and will be a concrete structure 1.1km long.
A Sanral presentation stated that the Mtentu Bridge would have a 260m main span constructed as a balanced cantilever with the main piers approximately 160m high, together with an approach of viaducts constructed using incremental launching methods.
The N2 toll road is a 410km stretch from East London through Butterworth and Mthatha up to the Mtamvuna River on the border between the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
Of the total length, some 112km would be newly built between the Mzimvubu River near Port St Johns and Mtamvuna River near Mzamba.
In the next 10 years, seven additional major river bridges and three interchange bridges will be constructed. This will be complemented by upgrading existing roads and constructing bypasses in Mthatha, Dutywa and Butterworth. Once complete, the route will be 85km shorter than the current route and up to three hours faster, particularly for heavy freight vehicles.
The project will go ahead despite fierce opposition from members of the Amadiba Crisis Committee.
The committee believes the road is planned to serve mining projects by Australian mining company MRC.
Committee leader Nonhle Mbuthuma said the road would cut off more of their farming and grazing land and displace homesteads.
Mbuthuma told the Dispatch yesterday: “If they continue with the road as they are saying they will, we are going to take the matter to court.
“During our last meeting with Sanral, we were not entirely sure where the route is or how many wetlands and species are going to be destroyed. They told us the Environmental Impact Assessment had already been approved.
“For us, it is difficult to talk about the tender process, whereas we don’t even know who is going to be relocated, how many schools will be relocated from Amadiba – they couldn’t answer those questions either.
“They are going to relocate people but people are not aware ... The big question is who is this toll road being pushed for if they don’t want to talk to the people who are going to be affected by the development?”
Peterson said the project would create 6800 direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
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