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The road to recovery

The recent surge in demand for imported bitumen products is a positive sign that there’s an anticipated upswing in the roads market. This is supported by increased tender activity, plus new project awards from Sanral. These include an approximately R1.45 billion investment in a major revamp of the N3 (Section 2) between Cato Ridge and Dardanelles in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

Awarded in April 2021, this 48-month project entails the upgrading of a 6.4 km four-lane dual carriageway to an eight-lane inbound and outbound section, plus associated works. A section of the R103, which runs parallel to the N3, will also be revamped.

According to Sanral, around R400 million will be apportioned to SMME subcontractors, plus more than R100 million for community-based labour. In both cases, this should present excellent opportunities for employment, skills transfer and the adoption of new technologies.

The backbone of the economy

For any country, roads are the backbone of the economy. In South Africa’s case, this is even more applicable since the majority of our goods are transported by road, rather than alternatives like rail. For roads authorities, this makes maintenance a priority, since the wear and tear caused by truck traffic takes its toll on riding surfaces. Proactive maintenance logically extends pavement life and delays the eventual need for costly reconstruction.

Developing and applying the most effective maintenance strategies is vital to preserving our approximately 158 124 km of paved roadways. As an industry, there also needs to be a strategic focus on transitioning some sections of our approximately 591 876 km of unpaved roads to asphalt-surfaced routes.

Progress is being made in this direction. During the 2021 State of the National Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that, “The Infrastructure Investment Plan identifies roads projects worth R19 billion covering the spine of the South African road network. Work is under way to finalise project finance structuring for these projects.”

For the roads industry, the when and how still need to be mapped out in more detail, but Sanral’s recent KZN award is certainly encouraging. Aside from national routes, it would also be ideal if some of this funding could be allocated to rural roads projects designed to connect communities that remain cut off from the mainstream economy.

Plugging the potholes

An immediate priority is the need to tackle the growing number of potholes nationally. In addition to restoring road integrity, pothole repairs present huge and much-needed employment and business opportunities for communities and SMMEs. Pothole repair programmes also serve as important case studies of how and why roads deteriorate, especially if these are premature failures. That has a bearing on future design, material selection and construction methodology so that roads are built right the first time.

In the end, it’s all about implementation. In this respect, there’s an exciting new development from Shisalanga Construction, a company that pioneered the local application of plastic asphalt. The roads expert has developed a prototype pothole-patching trailer capable of patching between 5 t to 8 t of asphalt per day. This invention could be a real game changer for municipalities and showcases how there’s always a solution to any problem.

Alastair

www.infrastructurenews.co.za IMESA IMESA

The official magazine of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT • SERVICE DELIVERY • ROADS • BUILDING • MAINTENANCE

A new JCB distributor for South Africa INDUSTRY INSIGHT Duncan Mashika Managing Director: Bell Equipment Sales South Africa Limited

Who’s Who in Roads Upgrading SA’s network Trenchless Technology The need for standards Planning is key to successful infrastructure investment

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