GEORGE NEWS - Construction on the project to double the Gwaiing River Bridge over the N2 near George will resume in mid-October after coming to a standstill in 2022.
According to the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral), a new contract has been awarded to Power Construction for R170m, excluding VAT and CPA (contract price adjustment). The new anticipated completion date is mid-January 2028.
A three-month mobilisation period preceding construction is under way. According to Sanral's Western Cape provincial head, Randall Cable, this is the period during which the contractor prepares for the start of the works, establishes resources, engages with stakeholders and affected communities, develops plans to achieve Sanral's transformation objectives, and ensures that all contractual, operational and statutory obligations are in place.
Construction on the additional bridge started in 2018, and the initial completion date is set for July 2020. However, two previous contractors were unable to complete the project due to financial difficulties, the impact of Covid-19, and flood damage in November 2021. Subsequent attempts to procure a contractor were also unsuccessful.
"The scope of work that will be undertaken now is the completion of the new 180m-long second bridge, repair and refurbishment of the existing bridge, dualling of about 2.2km of the existing N2, and minor widening and resurfacing of the existing carriageway," said Cable.
To date, R92.33m excluding VAT has been spent, and an estimated 55% of the work is completed.
In June this year, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment granted an amendment to the environmental authorisation, extending the permitted construction period from five years to 15.
Sanral's 2018 integrated report mentions that permits were obtained for the relocation of protected species, including 35 trees that were temporarily housed at the George Herbarium until they could be replanted.
Other environmental considerations include the installation of piles in the river and wider cuts into rock. Material for the roadfill layers is being sourced from the widening of the road cuts, meaning that no new quarries or borrow pits are required.
Cable said that, despite all the delays encountered, Sanral is committed to successfully completing the project.
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