Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille says the N3 road upgrade forms an integral part of government’s Strategic Integrated Projects, as part of the Durban-Free State-Gauteng Logistics and Industrial Corridor.
“It aims to strengthen the logistics and transport corridor between South Africa’s main industrial hubs, improve access to Durban’s export and import facilities and raise efficiency along the corridor,” Minister de Lille said.
She was speaking during an oversight visit to the N3 road upgrade site in KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday.
The project was gazetted as a Strategic Integrated Project (SIP) in terms of the Infrastructure Development Act in July 2020.
The N3 is the busiest road freight corridor in South Africa with over seventy million tons of freight per annum transported on the stretch of the road.
“The upgrade to the N3 should alleviate congestion on roads around the port and on the crucial N3 corridor linking the port of Durban and Gauteng. It should shorten turnaround times for freight-carrying vehicles, reduce accidents and increase profitability and contribute to economic growth.
“The need for the project arose from increased traffic volumes, declining levels of service on the freeway and the pavement of the existing road reaching a terminal state,” de Lille said.
According to the Minister, investment in the project demonstrates the South African National Roads Agency’s (SANRAL) understanding of the need to have quality roads. This is to ensure the safe and efficient movement of people and goods through proper infrastructure to support economic activity and growth.
The project entails upgrading the existing four-lane dual carriageway to an eight-lane dual carriageway by widening to the median and outer shoulders over a distance of 6.4km.
The upgrade will increase safety and significantly improve the level of service for years to come.
The project falls within the uMgungundlovu District Municipality, Mkhambathini Local Municipality and eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal.
Benefits
De Lille said the two sections of road being upgraded are divided into two contracts and is already bringing significant benefit through small, medium and macro enterprise (SMME) empowerment and job creation.
“The direct economic benefits of the upgrades are a reduction in travel times, a reduction in vehicle operating costs and a reduction in accidents costs, all of which have great benefit to the economy at large. There are also indirect economic benefits that will accrue to the local areas,” de Lille said.
In line with SANRAL’s transformation objectives, a minimum of R430 million will be subcontracted to black-owned SMMEs while just over R115million will be spent on local labour.
The main contract was awarded to Raubex Construction, which has a Level 1 B-BBEE Contributor Status.
Jobs creation and infrastructure
With regard to job creation, currently, 248 people are employed on site of which 148 are from the Mkhambathini and Msunduzi local municipality areas.
The number of employees is expected to increase to 450 in 2022 with a total of R103 million to be spent on local labour.
“The importance of decent roads and infrastructure cannot be over emphasised and I was pleased to listen to and see the progress on site first hand. Our roads are important carriers ensuring that people can get to work safely while also ensuring that economic goods can be transported safely and efficiently,” de Lille said.
The N3 road upgrade project is one of many which demonstrates the Infrastructure Investment Plan in action and which brings to life the objectives of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan (ERRP), to reignite the economy and assist the struggling construction sector and provide much-needed jobs.
The oversight visit to the project forms part of Minister de Lille’s duties to monitor progress of the 62 projects, which were gazetted as SIPs as part of the Infrastructure Investment Plan approved by Cabinet on 27 May 2020.
Most of the gazetted projects are currently in construction and are being expedited to assist in reviving the struggling construction sector and provide much-needed jobs to the people.
The N3 road upgrade project is being implemented by the SANRAL and the Department of Transport.
The upgrades to the two sections of road amounts to over R3.2billion.
Over the next few weeks, de Lille will be visiting more of the SIPs in various provinces in construction to demonstrate government’s investment in infrastructure.
During her visit to the site, de Lille and her delegation, which included Head of Infrastructure Investment in the Presidency, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, engaged project managers, workers and SMMEs on site to listen to the progress made on the project.