FREE STATE PRODUCED BY SANRAL

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1 FREE STATE PRODUCED BY SANRAL Good roads promote positive economic outcomes and safe, empowered and connected communities. SANRAL has undertaken several major projects, worth billions of rands to rehabilitate and upgrade existing roads in the Free State as well as construct new roads @sanral_za SANRAL SANRAL Corporate

2 MESSAGES A CATALYST FOR GROWTH Skhumbuzo Macozoma SANRAL is committed to delivering good-quality road infrastructure to stimulate the economy and develop communities throughout South Africa. The national roads agency s positive impact on society through community development is also becoming deeper and more appreciated as its responsibilities for the management of the national road network continue to grow. SANRAL manages a total of km of the national road network and more than major culverts and bridges. The SANRAL national road network in the Free State is comprised of 879km of non-toll roads and 698km of toll roads. Some major upgrade projects recently completed in the Free State are the N1 Trompsburg to Fonteintjie, N1 Sydenham to Glen Lyon and the N8 Bloemspruit to Sannaspos. Other major projects include quarrying for material to be used on the N1, construction on the N1 Ventersburg to Kroonstad and N1 Winburg to Winburg Station. It is compulsory for all SANRAL projects to ensure skills transfer and participation by SMMEs, especially women-owned enterprises. SANRAL s new long-term strategy, Horizon 2030, along with its draft Transformation Policy, recognise the contribution we can make to economic development through the provision and maintenance of critical infrastructure. To this end, SANRAL will use its procurement and supply chain processes to transform the construction industry, break down monopolies and advance the broad participation of black-owned contractors and suppliers. Future contracts will set requirements for the use of labour sourced from local communities and favour the procurement of locally-developed materials, equipment and technology. In the field of education, SANRAL has a scholarship programme for learners from Grades 10 to 12 who perform specifically well in maths and science. Last year, 20 learners from various secondary schools around Bloemfontein were awarded SANRAL scholarships aimed at enabling learners to make it through Matric and enrol for tertiary education. At tertiary level, SANRAL also offers bursaries to capable students who have the potential to become South Africa s next generation of civil engineers. In this way, the agency is developing local talent and contributing to the sustainability of our future intellectual and physical infrastructure. In an effort to ensure that South African students measure up to international standards in the mathematical world, SANRAL continues to sponsor a Chair in Science, Mathematics and Technology Education at the University of the Free State. Skhumbuzo Macozoma is SANRAL s CEO OUR ROADS ARE A PRECIOUS ASSET Sam Mashinini AS A landlocked province, surrounded by six provinces and the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho, roads are the arteries through which the economic lifeblood of the Free State flows. Linking producers to markets, workers to jobs, students to school and the sick to hospitals, roads are vital for the Free State s socio-economic development agenda. Five major routes bisect and encircle the province, which has in excess of 6 730km of surfaced roads and approximately km of gravel road. The department of police, roads and transport (DPRT) is responsible for the promotion of accessibility and mobility, including a safe, integrated road network that is environmentally sensitive. In its efforts to address joblessness and poverty, the department has embarked on a contractor development programme to support emerging contractors on road building projects, with a special emphasis on youth and women empowerment. A grass-cutting programme was also initiated and so far 36 grass-cutting learner contractors have been appointed and trained. The Contractor Development and Grass-cutting Programmes have created approximately job opportunities. While the Free State DPRT has budgeted R2.7bn for the 2017/18 financial year, the biggest chunk has gone toward the improvement of the road network. More than R1.2bn has been set aside for road maintenance. Three critical roads the Bultfontein/ Welkom, Bethlehem/Reitz and Jim Fouche/ Deneysville roads are being resealed to increase their lifespan. Furthermore, roads in all five districts throughout the province are being re-graveled. Many sections of SANRAL s national roads in the Free State are undergoing upgrades and maintenance. SANRAL and the DPRT are investing billions into the Free State s major routes to ensure they are safe and convenient for pedestrians and motorists alike. All SANRAL and DPRT projects incorporate transformation and participation imperatives to ensure the construction industry plays a role in job creation. Contractors must create jobs within communities living within close proximity to the projects. Thousands of jobs have been created, training has been provided to unskilled workers and particular emphasis has been placed on ensuring women, youth and the disabled are provided with opportunities to benefit from DPRT projects. It is also encouraging that SANRAL has supported the University of the Free State through the establishment a Chair in Mathematics, because the economy has such a big need for students with a high ability in this subject. Sam Mashinini is the Free State MEC for Police, Roads and Transport 2 Building South Africa through better roads

3 ENGINEERING BETTER QUALITY ROADS FOR FREE STATE THE N1 is one of the most important routes in the country and has to be constantly maintained and upgraded. SANRAL has invested billions of rands into several upgrading and routine road maintenance projects along the highway that runs from Cape Town through Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Polokwane to Beit Bridge on SA s border with Zimbabwe. A new carriageway and three new bridge structures have recently been constructed between Tromsburg and Fonteintjie with a budget of R487m. A total of 300 local labourers were employed and 28 SMME companies benefited by R117m. Being situated in a drought-stricken area, the availability of water for construction purposes posed a major challenge. Multiple boreholes had to be dug. The road between Winburg Interchange and Winburg Station is being upgraded to a dual carriageway at an investment of R407m. Work on this project is due to be completed at the end of May It is estimated that R23.5m will be spent on local labour, of which R11.7m will be spent on youth and R2m on women. SMMEs are targeted to benefit by R37.1m. The road from Ventersburg to Kroonstad, a total of 43km, is being fully rehabilitated at an estimated investment of R1.2bn. The project is divided into two contracts. Construction from Ventersburg to Holfontein is valued at R653m and is due for completion in August The contract for Holfontein to Kroonstad was awarded at R560m and is scheduled for completion at the end of June Hugh Brooks, SANRAL s Eastern Region Project Manager, is overseeing the work from Ventersburg to Holfontein. He said it was cheaper to build a new carriageway than to add extra lanes to the existing road. Zandile Nene, Project Manager for the section under construction from Holfontein to Kroonstad, said the existing carriageway is being upgraded and rehabilitated to form the northbound carriageway of the new dual carriageway freeway, and a new southbound carriageway to the east of the existing road is being constructed. A 40km section of the road from Koppies to Vaal Toll Plaza is also being resurfaced under the periodic maintenance programme at a cost of R110m. SANRAL QUARRY SAVES R125M IN an effort to reduce the cost of materials, decrease the damage caused to roads by heavy vehicles hauling construction material and save time, SANRAL has dug a quarry to supply stone for the upgrading of the N1 between Winburg and Kroonstad. The quarry at Ventersburg has been supplying crushed aggregate to roadwork contractors. Zandile Nene, Project Manager at SANRAL Eastern Region, said the establishment of the quarry was necessary, as the upgrading of the N1 generated the largest crushing contract of its kind on any road project. Supplying crushed aggregate from the SANRAL quarry as opposed to sourcing it from commercial sources has amounted to a saving of approximately R125m during the upgrading of the N1. The quarry eliminated the need for heavy trucks carrying stone to travel over long distances to construction sites. Thus, damage to the roads has also been minimised, he said. Locating a quarry near the construction site resulted in considerable savings of time and money. The quarry contract, worth R163.5m, was awarded to Triamic Plant. This entailed the production and delivery of approximately 1.36 million tons of a range of crushed aggregate. The contract also provided crushed aggregate for concrete and subsoil drains, as well as rock for gabion installations. The quarry contract helped empower the local community through the employment and development of local labour, mainly women and youth, and by providing industry-specific and business training to local and small businesses in Ventersburg. Where possible, several black womanowned companies and emerging enterprises were appointed as subcontractors and service providers. Nene said: The site will be fully rehabilitated in strict accordance with the approved Environmental Management Plan upon completion of crushing activities, and with limited to no visibility from the N1. Various local species of trees will also be planted to promote full rehabilitation of the quarry. Hello Free State 3

4 PROJECTS UPGRADES TO EASE CONGESTION SANRAL has embarked on several major projects, valued at billions of rands, to rehabilitate and upgrade existing roads in the Free State, as well as construct new roads infrastructure. A section of the N8 from Bloemspruit to Sannaspos was recently upgraded at an investment of R526m. The N8 is a strategic link between Maseru and the central regions of South Africa. The project comprised the rehabilitation, widening and partial realignment of more than 24km of singlecarriageway road, as well as dualing of 4.3km of the same section. The road from Sannaspos to Thaba Nchu, comprising 30.5km, was also recently rehabilitated, widened and partially realigned at an investment of R490m. A total of 632 people and 19 black-owned SMMEs were employed on the project The N5 is being improved between Harrismith and Industriqwa at an investment of R290m. The contract involves a 6km section of the N5 from the N3/N5 interchange to Industriqwa. SANRAL Eastern Region Project Manager Andrew Ssekayita said that a major reason for the improvement has been the high volume of traffic between QwaQwa and Harrismith. A total of 226 labourers were employed on site. Of the 29 subcontractors, 22 are SMMEs. The N6 from Rouxville to Smithfield is being upgraded to the tune of R480m and work is expected to be completed by May According to SANRAL Eastern Region Project Manager Jason Louw, this 37km section of road resembled an old gravel road that had simply been tarred. The alignment was up and down. The narrow road had no shoulders. Upgrading the road will give it a freeway alignment with shoulders that will serve as an emergency stopping lane, he said. Also on the N6, a 38km section of road from Reddersburg to Rustfontein has recently been reasphalted at a cost of R77m. On the N8 leading to the Maseru border, SANRAL has spent R56m on road-widening to create a parking lane for trucks waiting to process documents at the border post, the installation of street lights, the construction of a pedestrian walkway and landscaping. 30 local labourers, including 24 women, were employed and R10.1m was paid towards local labour salaries, of which R6.9m went to youth and women The project provided for business opportunities and five local subcontractors earned R11.2m. Two SMME subcontractors earned R3.1m for the construction of a pedestrian walkway and the rehabilitation of the gravel shoulder. Rajesh Dookie, SANRAL Eastern Region Project Manager, said the SMME subcontractors exhibited an eagerness to increase their knowledge and executed the work on schedule and with exceptional quality. Samuel Mpele of KS Mpele Construction said he was happy and proud to have been involved in the project. He said he employed 12 people during eight months. David Malapo, owner of DNC Construction, said he had gained valuable knowledge and experience working on his first SANRAL project. BRIDGING OLD AND NEW AS FAR as possible, SANRAL strives to preserve physical history, in keeping with legislation of the South African Heritage Resources Agency. Any structure that is more than 60 years old must be protected in terms of heritage requirements. It was against this backdrop that SANRAL left the historical single-lane Hamilton Bridge over the Wilge River intact and is building a new double-lane bridge next to the current one on Murray Street, as part of the upgrade of the N5 between Harrismith and Industriqwa. During the Anglo Boer War ( ), British troops were deployed near Basuto Hill the area known as Wilgepark. To enable the soldiers encamped in that area to reach the town, a suspension bridge was built over the Wilge River by the Royal Engineers for easy crossing of the river. The structure was washed away in March By then the regiments were gradually moving to barracks on King s Hill and complete repair of the bridge seemed unnecessary. The troops made a temporary footbridge of planks resting on barrels. Today, at the same spot, a sturdier structure, called the Hamilton Bridge, named after Sir Hamilton Goold-Adams, governor of the Orange River Colony, provides access to vehicular traffic crossing the Wilge River from the town. It was opened to traffic on 7 August Soon, a few metres away, the new Murray Street Bridge will carry this traffic. 4 Building South Africa through better roads

5 PROSPECTS GOOD ROADS DRIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH MINING and agriculture were for many decades the bedrock of the Free State economy. The northwestern part of the province sits on top of a rich, gold-bearing reef. A large percentage of South Africa s agricultural production, particularly grains, originate in the province. More than half the nation s sorghum, nearly half the sunflower and more than 30% of all wheat, maize, potatoes and groundnuts come from the fertile plains of the western and northern Free State. The valleys of the east produce almost all of South Africa s cherries and asparagus. Livestock and flowers are other important agricultural products of this region. The Free State s economy presents huge opportunities for investors in the manufacturing sector. The Free State Development Corporation is actively searching for more investors and giving them a helping hand, as in the construction of factories. Economic planning for the province is attempting to integrate industrial development, rural development and the creation of sustainable SMMEs. New economic drivers being targeted include logistics, ICT, innovation and research, agriprocessing and manufacturing in sectors such as pharmaceuticals. Plans are in place to leverage this through the creation of development corridors (Gauteng-Free State-KwaZulu-Natal and the N8 corridor), the bolstering of train services (freight and passenger) and the promotion of warehousing and storage opportunities. The Harrismith Logistics Hub on the N3 is at the centre of these plans, and early successes have already been achieved in persuading companies to locate their businesses here. The Mangaung Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) is committed to promoting better business, more successful entrepreneurship, local economic development and the growth of businesses within all district municipalities in the province. Nancy de Sousa, president of MCCI, believes the sphere of focus in local economic development must be on those sectors which, because of their status in the agricultural, manufacturing and commercial environments, are the economic engines for the region. MCCI HEAD NANCY DE SOUSA What role do roads play in the economy? The role of infrastructure in the economic development of any country is vitally important, in particular, integrated transport infrastructure. It has been proven in numerous studies that access to transport through trunk- and feeder-roads has a huge impact on growth, access to social services and regional integration. With regards to achieving sustainable development goals, transport plays a central role. In the Free State, the transport infrastructure is vital in sustaining and growing new businesses, providing employment opportunities and upskilling SMMEs. With the Free State being in the centre of the country, there are many opportunities to create transport hubs and manufacturing and distribution facilities. The road infrastructure is needed to grow our province and sustain the growth. What are the problems on the Free State s roads? Pot holes, stormwater drains, the poor condition of feeder roads, roads that are not yet paved and the poor maintenance of gravel roads are a few of the complaints. Congestion in certain areas due to population growth and the infrastructure being outdated is also an issue. Will upgrading and rehabilitation help? Upgrades and routine road maintenance will definitely help to reduce road incidents, improve freight times, create employment and open up new business opportunities that can assist in growing the provincial economy. How do you feel about the upliftment of local labour on SANRAL s projects in the Free State? SANRAL is certainly taking a huge step in the right direction with its transformation policy. One of the mandates of the MCCI is to assist, mentor and help SMMEs to grow and become part of the economy. What role does private business have in making the most of these projects? Private-public partnerships and concessions can be an effective way to develop the road infrastructure and in this space, the private sector plays a vital role. Hello Free State 5

6 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Who is SANRAL? The South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd (SANRAL) was established in April 1998 by an act of Parliament as an independent body to operate South Africa s national road network. It is a public company with share capital within the requirements of the South African Companies Act and governed by a board of eight members. The Minister of Transport is the sole shareholder of SANRAL representing the government. SANRAL is a state-owned entity (SOE) category 3A and is not allowed to make a profit. It is not a business enterprise. It is responsible for a national road network of km. This network is gradually expanding, as a growing number of provinces request that the agency take over the management of their primary roads. SANRAL s role is to be an implementing agency for road planning, construction and maintenance, on behalf of the Department of Transport. For which roads is SANRAL responsible? SANRAL is the custodian of most of the national roads the N roads with minor exceptions, such as a stretch of the N14 in Gauteng and the N2 between Cape Town International Airport and the city centre. There are also some provincial and municipal roads in the Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the North West that have been incorporated into our network. Why does SANRAL toll its roads? Of our entire network, only 3 120km are tolled. Roads are the arteries of our nation they connect major cities, towns and villages in rural areas. Roads bring economic growth, tourism and social development, as well as economic opportunities for all citizens. But they need to be maintained. The maintenance of roads is extremely expensive, as is upgrading them to keep up with growth and manage congestion. To fund this, we cannot rely solely on tax. In these instances, the user-pays principle is applied. This decision is never made lightly or rashly. Where is SANRAL s Eastern Region? With 2 881km of SANRAL roads, the Eastern Region comprises KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State. What is the condition of SANRAL s roads in the Eastern Region? The Eastern Region s paved roads are generally in a good to very good condition, due to continuous maintenance. The breakdown is as follows: Fair = 25%, Good = 35%, Very Good = 40%. What is the purpose of the R30m grant SANRAL gave to the University of Free State (UFS)? In an effort to ensure that South African students measure up to international standards in maths, SANRAL sponsors a Chair in Science, Mathematics and Technology Education at UFS. Through the R30m endowment, SANRAL wants to promote the development of human capital through high-quality education, training and research, and through partnerships with recognised international institutions in the field of pavement engineering and transportation planning. At an academic level, the SANRAL Chair will supervise a cohort of doctoral and Master s students, while also guiding research and publications in mathematics, science and technology education. In addition, this partnership strives to address underperformance in mathematics and science in South African schools. The SANRAL Chair will help to train teachers, support student-teacher interns and incentivise education results so that participating schools become centres of excellence. I would like to work for SANRAL. How do I go about it? If you want to explore opportunities within SANRAL, please contact our human resources department on , or send an to info@nra.co.za How can I contract for work with SANRAL? Construction work is all given out on tender. SANRAL s procurement philosophy is aimed at broad-based BEE. This contributes to economic growth in our country and the southern African region as a whole. All SANRAL s supply chain management must be done in line with the policy. To read the entire Supply Chain Management Policy and Procedure Manual in PDF format and look out for contracts advertised on the SANRAL website, visit How do I bring road conditions to SANRAL s attention? The agency has special maintenance teams in place to respond to unplanned events such as major accidents or floods and we are able to respond immediately. We have a 48-hour turnaround time from reporting to repair of a pothole on our national roads. Should you want to report a problem, simply visit for the contact details of our regional offices and concessionaires. 6 Building South Africa through better roads

7 COMMUNITY VOICES THUMBS UP FOR N5 UPGRADE BETWEEN HARRISMITH AND INDUSTRIQWA What used to be a long and tedious journey which used to take at least 30 minutes now takes about five minutes, thanks to the upgrading of the N5 between Harrismith and Industriqwa. It was smiles all round and lots of praise from motorists and commuters for the road-widening project. Let s see what some of the locals had to say Nomusa Mbhele, fruit vendor The section of the road between Industriqwa and Harrismith used to be congested with heavy vehicles, buses and minibus taxis using the two-lane road and the journey on this stretch alone took more than 30 minutes. With the improvement of the busy road, it now takes about five minutes to reach Harrismith. What a pleasure. Rose Mofokeng, Tupperware sales agent The upgrading of the road between Industriqwa and Harrismith has helped to ease the traffic considerably, especially on Friday afternoons and around month end. I travel a lot to take my range of Tupperware products to Harrismith, Ficksburg, Warden and Phuthaditjhaba and the more time I spend on the road means the less time I have for sales. I am grateful to SANRAL for spending millions of rands on the upgrading of roads throughout the Free State. Thabisa Matiwane, road traffic officer As a road traffic officer, I have first-hand knowledge of the inconvenience and hardship that was experienced by motorists and commuters travelling between Harrismith and Industriqwa. The congested road also resulted in accidents. But, since this section of the N5 has been widened, there is a smooth flow of traffic even during the morning and afternoon peak hours. Themba Radebe, taxi driver I used to take great risks and place the lives of my passengers in danger before the road was widened. I used to overtake in the face of incoming traffic so that I could take my passengers to the Tshiame industrial and residential areas as quickly as possible. My passengers used to get very angry if they were late for work because of traffic congestion, although it was not my fault. With the upgrading of the road, now the half-hour trip takes less than five minutes and my passengers are smiling when they get off my taxi to go to work. Hello Free State 7

8 Kromspruit WHERE ARE WE? VAN ZYL SPRUIT BRIDGE SCOOPS FULTON AWARD SANRAL has received many awards for excellence in civil engineering during the past two decades. These have included awards for bridge design and engineering, community-based construction, technical excellence, the provision and maintenance of a superior primary road network and corrosion protection. SANRAL s Eastern Region recently won the Concrete Society of Southern Africa s *Fulton Award for Innovation in Concrete. The honour was bestowed on SANRAL for its reinforced-concrete Van Zyl Spruit Bridge on the N1, which lies between Trompsburg and Fonteintjie. The bridge is unique in that it is the first long integral bridge in South Africa. An integral bridge is a bridge without joints that spans from one abutment, over intermediate supports, to the other abutment without any movement joint in the deck. At 90m, the Van Zyl Spruit Bridge is one of the longest integral bridges in the world. The five-span road bridge has a continuous deck, consisting of two spine beams, fully integral with the abutments and piers. In conferring the award, the judges commented: The innovative use of integral bridges allows savings in materials, no capital cost for bearings and joints, lower maintenance costs, better durability and makes concrete bridges more competitive. In addition, the installation of over 500 sensors in the bridge structure, which are being logged automatically every 15 minutes to detect and quantify trends in strain, temperature, tilt and earth pressure, makes this one of the first smart bridges in the country. The data obtained from these sensors will contribute to a better understanding of environmental loading on the performance of integral bridges in South Africa. Eastern Region Project Manager Hugh Brooks said the award was a reflection of the high standard of work on SANRAL projects and the agency s ability to keep up with ever-evolving economic, environmental and aesthetic demands. *The Fulton Awards are a tribute to the late Dr Sandy Fulton, for his outstanding contribution to the understanding of concrete, its development and improvement. Dr Fulton was one of the more prominent figures of the international concrete industry, with impressive achievements in research contained in 35 published papers. He left a legacy of scientific and technological advances in the construction industry. 27 E 30 E Lenasia Breyten R501 Evander R501 Secunda R38 Meyerton R53 R30 GAUTENG Balfour POTCHEFSTROOM R503 R23 MPUMALANGA R500 R35 R505 KLERKSDORP R53 R501 $N18 $N11 NORTH WEST 27 S $N14 R30 $ R23 R34 N1 27 S Harts River Harts River $N12 Barkly West Christiana $N18 Warrenton Schweizer-Reneke Bloemhof Wolmaransstad R504 Bothaville Viljoenskroon Heilbron Frankfort Vrede Charlestown $ N3 Maokeng R34 Reitz Riebeeckstad WELKOM Hennenman R730 Senekal R30 Theunissen $ N5 Winburg FREE STATE Brandfort $ KIMBERLEY $ N3 N8 Harts River Leeurivier Vetrivier $ $ N8 N8 $N12 Sand River BLOEMFONTEIN $ N8 Skulpspruit Leeurivier Ficksburg Clocolan Ladybrand Sand River Molspruit River Wilge River Wilge River Hoye River Tugela River $ N3 Roodepoortspruit Mooi River KWAZULU NATAL F SANRAL ROADS FREE STATE Secondary Towns Major Cities Other Roads SANRAL Regional Roads SANRAL National Roads Provincial Boundary Riet River Kaffer River Riet River Kaffer River $ N1 LESOTHO Orange River $ N6 30 S 30 S Worsfonteinspruit Kennega River Umzimkulu River Brak River NORTHERN CAPE Colesberg Orange River Kraai River R56 Kokstad $N10 $ N9 EASTERN CAPE R58 Kilometers R58 Burgersdorp R58 Tina $ N2 Date: 2017/09/05 27 E 30 E 8 Building South Africa through better roads