Sanral reports strong project pipeline

N4 Slow Lane Upgrade Now Well Advanced

Entrusted with the Pavement Management System for Bakwena Platinum Corridor Concessionaire, JG Afrika is helping to maintain the N1/N4 toll road to the highquality standards specified in the concession contract. As part of this responsibility, JG Afrika and principal contractor, G4 Civils, are rehabilitating a 20 km section of the slow lane of the N4 between the Kameeldrift and Ga-Rankuwa interchanges.

JG Afrika commenced with the engineering design in 2020 and is now overseeing the construction works, which commenced in January 2022 and are now well advanced for scheduled completion in August 2023.

Construction methodology

The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (Sanral) awarded 323 tenders to the value of R59 billion in the past financial year. This is a significant increase on the previous period, when tenders worth R22 billion were awarded.

Over and above the tenders awarded by Sanral Head Office and its various regional offices, 12 contracts above R750 million were awarded after the board reviewed the submissions as part of its oversight role. The total value of these is R28 billion, of which the last four, awarded on 31 March, are split between KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

Supporting SMMEs

In line with Sanral’s commitment to economic transformation, at least 30% of the contract value of each tender will be subcontracted to small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs). This effectively ensures that close to R18 billion will go to SMMEs located in the various communities in which the projects will be implemented. Through these awards, the roads agency continues on its positive trajectory to drive economic recovery as part of the broader national effort by government to invest in economic infrastructure. Such significant awards also enable Sanral to squarely respond to the triple challenge of poverty, unemployment and inequality across South Africa through large-scale job creation, skills development and knowledge transfer.

Breaking down monopolies

Furthermore, Sanral states that it remains committed to breaking down monopolies and ensuring meaningful transformation that changes people’s lives for the better. “Our transformation efforts go beyond facilitating access to black-owned businesses. We want them to participate, grow and ultimately prosper,” says Themba Mhambi, board chairperson, Sanral.

To this end, Sanral has embarked on an extensive training and capacity-building campaign, which targets more than 40 000 SMMEs over a three-year period, effectively teaching them to submit compliant, competitive and profitable tenders.

The scope of work entails milling the existing surfacing, base, subbase and a portion of the selected layer. The base and surfacing layers are being milled to a depth of 205 mm and width of 3.7 m, and stockpiled for reuse. In turn, the sub-base and a portion of the selected layer are milled to a depth of 510 mm and width of 3.7 m and sent to a separate stockpile. Roller compactors then compact the remaining selected layer, achieving the required density in five passes.

Hereafter, the milled surfacing and base, as well as 100 mm new G5 material and cement, are placed and stabilised to form a new 300 mm, 3.7 m wide C3 selected layer. A 150 mm bench is then formed on either side of the new base.

After this, a new 150 mm, 4 m wide G1 base consisting of commercially sourced material is placed, and a 150 mm bench formed on either side for the new surfacing, comprising a 60 mm 4.3 m wide continuously graded asphalt layer.

Comments Emma Day, executive associate at JG Afrika: “To mitigate the impact of the construction work on the flow of traffic, rehabilitation, which is being undertaken in sections, needs to be planned very carefully. Unexpected ground conditions, such as areas with underground water, have also been a challenge.”

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