From left to right: Koos Louw, Aurecon Office Manager, eThekwini; Graham Landon, Transnet Capital Projects’ Project Manager; Jabu Tlou, Transnet Capital Projects’ Safety Manager; Mark Perkins, Aurecon Safety Supervisor

Bayhead Road, a key feeder road to the port of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, is one of the highest volume heavy vehicle traffic routes in the world, and also the most heavily trafficked road in the Southern Hemisphere. Consequently, any construction on this route is fraught with road safety challenges, a situation which is compounded by the close proximity of railway lines, with associated overhead high voltage traction equipment, and active fuel gas pipelines.

Despite these significant obstacles, Transnet Capital Projects (TCP) undertook a two-year upgrade of this road to relieve growing congestion levels and support a commercial ports system that is globally competitive, safe and secure.

This involved the construction of over 2 100 m of dual carriageway road, with a new central median and sidewalks, as well as associated storm water and street lighting; re-aligning key intersections; constructing two formal truck staging areas with approximately 140 bays; a new road over rail bridge and the refurbishment of the existing bridge; and the relocation of a pollution control building all against a backdrop of maintaining full public and stakeholder access through the site at all times.

The R270 million-upgrade commenced in September 2010 and was completed two years later, during September 2012.

Against all odds, the project team managed to achieve an incredible Zero Lost Time Injuries (LTIs) on completion of the project, and over 1 000 000 Lost Time-free man-hours. Not surprisingly, the project won the 2012 TCP Group Executive award for Safety, on top of being named the ‘Runner up for Project of the Year’.

A priority for the Aurecon leadership team is the continual development of a health and safety culture that is market-leading and focuses on both lead and lag indicators. Fundamental to this is the further development of our culture as one that cares about our people and our clients’ people.

Aurecon, who fulfilled the role of construction manager and client agent, including providing full-time safety representation on site, now explores with key members of the TCP project team the exceptional commitment to safety an achievement like this demands, as well as the key project success factors required to achieve such impressive safety outcomes on a project of this scale.