Construction of Polokwane Eastern Ringroad to resume
The contractor will have the responsibility to finalise the contract within the next 14 months
POLOKWANE – The Mayor, Thembi Nkadimeng, and representatives of Sanral, and the Department of Public Works on Tuesday handed the N1 project over to Edwin Construction, who will have the responsibility to finalise the Polokwane Eastern Ringroad contract within the next 14 months.
Nkadimeng in July voiced her plan to engage with the Premier, Chupu Stanley Mathabatha, in order to engage with the Minister of Transport about the slow progress of roadworks on the N1.
“We understand that the people of Polokwane are frustrated by the delay in construction on the bypass,” she said at the time during her State-of-the-City address.
“While we understand that the bypass is a national government project implemented by Sanral, as a city we have the responsibility to inform the people of Polokwane about its progress.”
Construction of the important N1 Polokwane East Ringroad project had been abandoned and no progress was made at all during the last couple of months, leaving some lanes near Polokwane closed.
Bridges were left incomplete, and the number of vehicle incidents had increased on the N1 South.
Read more: Construction of ring road at a standstill
Sanral late last year told Review that the project would continue at the end of February this year, but come that time, there was no money to continue with the project.
Nkadimeng said at that point she could only report that the latest engagement with Sanral was that they were seeking ways to speedily resolve the problem and could not immediately at that time give clear information about the resumption of the project’s construction.
Nkadimeng said it was a major inconvenience during peak season and, while acknowledging Basil Read went under business rescue, it was unacceptable for Sanral to take so long to resolve the matter, as it also is not a good reflection of the city and the province.
She engaged with Sanral and the outcome was that a former contractor, Edwin Construction, was appointed to complete the roadworks.
They should start with construction within the next two weeks, she said.
“Labourers’ fitness needs to be confirmed and they need to be tested, and when all labour issues have been solved, they will begin with construction.”
