The R550-million Mthatha Sprigg Street to Ngqeleni Road infrastructure development, which forms part of a master plan for tourism and other long-term mega projects in the Eastern Cape, has been completed.
South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) southern region manager Mbulelo Peterson said the project commenced in September 2013 and was completed on September 8 this year.
“The project consisted of the construction of a new 7.3km dual carriageway between Mthatha and the turnoff to Ngqeleni. The east-bound carriageway was newly constructed, while the west bound carriageway entailed an upgrade of existing road infrastructure,” said Peterson.
He said as a result of the new carriageway, six new bridges, one each over the Mthatha River, the Corana River, Sidwadweni River on Bernard Schultz Drive, an agricultural overpass bridge at Ngqeleni turnoff, and two new interchange bridges at the Ngqeleni turn-off were constructed.
Peterson said the plan was to improve the safety of the road users and pedestrians through the closing of unsafe intersections, a new interchange at Ngqeleni turnoff and the construction of formalised and channelised intersections.
“This is also an integrated road safety programme which aims to decrease the road hazards which may lead to accidents and motor vehicle accident-related deaths,” said Peterson, adding that to address the problem, Sanral has also constructed two agricultural underpass water channels as part of the R61 Mthatha Sprigg Street to Ngqeleni turnoff project.
The project has also created work for 60 small, medium and micro enterprises, of which 48 were black-owned entities.
There were 628 job opportunities created, of which 541 (86%) were male and 87 (14%) female and further broken down into 328 youth (52%).
“One of the successes is that the project has already injected a salvo of benefits to members living in villages from Mthatha to Ngqeleni,” Peterson said.
He added that Sanral delivered 31 new replacement houses to residents whose dwellings fell under the construction footprint, and in the process eradicated poorly constructed structure homes. — ziphon@dispatch.co.za
R550m road upgrade completed in Mthatha
South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) southern region manager Mbulelo Peterson said the project commenced in September 2013 and was completed on September 8 this year.
“The project consisted of the construction of a new 7.3km dual carriageway between Mthatha and the turnoff to Ngqeleni. The east-bound carriageway was newly constructed, while the west bound carriageway entailed an upgrade of existing road infrastructure,” said Peterson.
He said as a result of the new carriageway, six new bridges, one each over the Mthatha River, the Corana River, Sidwadweni River on Bernard Schultz Drive, an agricultural overpass bridge at Ngqeleni turnoff, and two new interchange bridges at the Ngqeleni turn-off were constructed.
Peterson said the plan was to improve the safety of the road users and pedestrians through the closing of unsafe intersections, a new interchange at Ngqeleni turnoff and the construction of formalised and channelised intersections.
“This is also an integrated road safety programme which aims to decrease the road hazards which may lead to accidents and motor vehicle accident-related deaths,” said Peterson, adding that to address the problem, Sanral has also constructed two agricultural underpass water channels as part of the R61 Mthatha Sprigg Street to Ngqeleni turnoff project.
The project has also created work for 60 small, medium and micro enterprises, of which 48 were black-owned entities.
There were 628 job opportunities created, of which 541 (86%) were male and 87 (14%) female and further broken down into 328 youth (52%).
“One of the successes is that the project has already injected a salvo of benefits to members living in villages from Mthatha to Ngqeleni,” Peterson said.
He added that Sanral delivered 31 new replacement houses to residents whose dwellings fell under the construction footprint, and in the process eradicated poorly constructed structure homes. — ziphon@dispatch.co.za
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