N2 in Toti to remain unrepaired until next year
While some contractor activity can be seen on the N2 highway in Amanzimtoti, it has been confirmed that repairs to the road will start in January next year. The tender for the repairs will be awarded in December.
THIS was revealed in a response letter from Sanral’s chairperson of the board, Themba Mhambi, to Tim Brauteseth recently. Brauteseth is a member of the Parliamentary Ad Hoc Joint Committee on Flood Disaster Relief and Recovery.
The latest confirmation comes after a series of false starts since the middle of the year. Brauteseth said according to the response he received, the tender was re-advertised on November 4, and a contractor will only be appointed on December 14. Actual work will only begin on January 10, 2023, with the completion date set for March 10, 2023.
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“If this undertaking is honoured, it will mean that motorists in KwaZulu-Natal will have waited 11 months since the April floods to have traffic congestion eased. This comes as the province heads towards the peak tourism season. We are fearful of the impact this will have on visiting holidaymakers,” he said.
The current work that is being done at the site is being undertaken by Transnet and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) to stablise the embankment below before work can start on the road above.
In his response to Brauteseth, Sanral’s Mhambi said a new standard operating procedure (SOP) for emergency works for the flood disaster projects was developed and approved on June 30.
“This SOP required a total change in the approach to procuring service providers for the KZN flood projects and the use of online submission. The new SOP followed a closed tender process for KZN-based companies registered on the Central Supplier Database at National Treasury,” said Mhambi.
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