A contract awarded by the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) has resulted in a significant portion of the N6 receiving an extensive upgrade.

The leading consulting engineering firm GIBB undertook the design and construction management for the resurfacing of the road in a project that cost over R55 million and created 87 jobs for locals. The contract is located on the N6 between East London and Stutterheim.

The new road surface is expected toextend the lifespan of the surfacing by eight to ten years with enhanced safety characteristics due to improved skid resistance properties. The new sidewalks also offer safety benefits to pedestrians, who no longer have to walk on road verges.

While this portion of the N6 was still structurally adequate (except for isolated areas where base repairs were necessary), the surfacing seal was aged and oxidised.

Simon Tetley, senior associate at GIBB and the project leader on this contract,says that to prevent further degradation, a new 19 double 6 seal using modified binder was placed over a 50-km stretch of the road. In addition, to the surfacing seal, 2 km of asphalt overlay was constructed at the East London limit of the project.

“To improve road safety, approximately 8 km of sidewalks was constructed at locations with high pedestrian activity.The base design of the sidewalk, using gabion baskets and concrete, was conceived by GIBB and it appears that the design will become a “standard” for other Sanral projects where such sidewalks are required,” points out Tetley.