Bridges and embankments: Round-up on 3 major projects

Slope stabilisation of the embankment at Great Brak River.

03-07-2023
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George Herald
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The Gwaiing River Bridge and the slope stabilisation of the embankments are both projects of Sanral, while the construction of the Maalgate Bridge on the R102 is a project of the Western Cape Government.

GEORGE NEWS - Two bridge projects on the N2 and R102 between Mossel Bay and George that have been in construction for over a year, have been brought to the attention of George Herald. Readers want to know what is going on and why it is taking so long.

In addition, reference has also been made to slope stabilisation of embankments on the N2 in Great Brak River (R258,1m) and Hartenbos (R76,5m), costing a fortune. Readers commented on this project, saying they don't see the need for it.

"The embankments have probably existed for 20 years or more and one wonders why there is now suddenly a danger that they could collapse," said a reader who wishes to stay anonymous.

"Apparently Sanral has a lot of money to spend on these apparently unnecessary projects while the Gwaiing River Bridge on the N2 and the Maalgate River Bridge on the R102 near George are partially completed and stalled."

Gwaiing Bridge

A project which entailed the widening of the Gwaiing River bridge on the N2 to double its existing capacity was announced by Sanral in March 2018, more than five years ago. Since then two contractors were appointed to complete the work, and both ran into financial difficulty.

A year ago, on 1 June 2022, George Herald reported that Mamlambo Construction, the company that was appointed in December 2021, took over from the original contractor, KPMM, that had run into financial difficulties. KPMM had been appointed in 2017 during Sanral's roll-out of the project.

Now it seems Mamlambo Construction is also having financial problems.

Last year June, George Herald reported that Mamlambo Construction was also the contractor for the Maalgate bridge upgrading project (on the R102) for the Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works.

Both projects came to a standstill because of the construction company's financial difficulties.

Asked for the latest feedback on the situation, Sanral Western Region manager Randall Cable said the delay in the Gwaiing Bridge project on the N2 is not a matter of money or budget not being available.

"The delay with this project was caused by the contractual and financial inability of the contractor to complete the works," he said. "Sanral is currently navigating the way forward to get the project back into construction so it can be completed."

A new contractor has not yet been appointed.

The delay with the Gwaiing bridge project was caused by the contractual and financial inability of the contractor to complete the works.

Maalgate Bridge

Spokesperson to the Provincial Department of Transport Jandré Bakker said the current contractor is making progress on the project.

The expected cost of the current project is just over R52,3m and the expected date of completion is end of March 2024, if all goes according to plan. Construction of the project started on 8 February 2021.

The replacement contractor started with construction on 16 September 2022. On a question why the project is moving slower than anticipated, Bakker said "form work delivery issues" caused some problems. The new contractor is Leek Construction CC.

George Herald was told by a reliable source that the current contractor suffered because of the previous contractor. "Suppliers have proved to be difficult to some degree as a result of the previous terminated contracts within the area," said the source.

The expected cost of the current Maalgate bridge project is just over R52,3m and the expected date of completion is end of March 2024, if all goes according to plan.

Slope stabilisation

With regard to the slope stabilisation* of embankments outside Hartenbos and Mossel Bay, Cable said slope failure onto a roadway can have catastrophic consequences. "At the outset, we should point out that all projects serve their function.

Slope stabilisation is an area of geotechnical engineering that is very complex, and the risk of slope failure is not in the public discourse, until the slope fails.

"With many of South Africa's roads being well over 40 or 50 years old, extensive maintenance is key to sustainability. This applies not only to the road surface, but also slopes in the road reserve.

"To this end, slope stabilisation plays a pivotal role in road maintenance, and ultimately the safety of road users, in terms of the prevention of potential rock fall and landslides.

"Furthermore, the Hartenbos and Great Brak slope stabilisation projects have to date injected more than R9m to local businesses in the Southern Cape, with an estimated R3,7m spent on local labour. The importance of infrastructure upgrades to drive economic recovery post the pandemic, cannot be overstated."

Both slope stabilisation projects are anticipated to be completed by the end of July.

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