In May 2012, the ownership of the R72 in the Eastern Cape was transferred from the provincial government to the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral).

With an appropriate budget for routine road maintenance and a contract structure that provides for the development of SMME contractors, the R72 will be rehabilitated to be a road of national standards. Not only will the R72 benefit from structured routine road maintenance programmes but also through planned upgrades of sections of the road in future.

The project comprises the routine road maintenance on national route R72 Sections 1 to 4, between Nanaga and East London Airport off-ramp, spanning a total distance of 228.5 km.

The scope of works involves the routine road maintenance, improvement of drainage structures and minor works along the route, which include:

• general requirements and provisions
• contractor’s establishment of site
• obligations
• route patrol services
• accommodation of traffic
• pavement layers repair
• repair of potholes, edge breaks and surface failures
• crack sealing
• repair and maintenance of inlet and outlet structures
• subsoil drain installation and maintenance
• cleaning and maintenance of existing earth channels
• concrete channel construction and maintenance of existing channels
• fencing
• collection and removal of debris and litter
• shoulder repairs
• erection and repair of permanent road traffic signs
• road sign cleaning and removal of illegal signs
• road studs
• road markings
• maintenance of laybys and rest areas
• gabion protection
• controlling vegetation growth: mowing and cutting
• chemical control of vegetation and eradication of undesirable vegetation
• removal of undesirable vegetation: physical eradication
• minor repairs to structures.

• surface treatment of surfaced roads
• repair of slope failures and wash aways

• cleaning of waterway structures
• cleaning of prefabricated culverts
• cleaning of concrete drains and channels

• edge build-up removal

• stabilisation of cuttings

• guardrail erection and maintenance

• general erosion protection

To date, the role players in the contract are Madan Singh Bester & Associates (consulting engineer) and Superway Construction (contractor).

Description of the route

Route	Section	From km	To km	Length (km)
R72	1	N10 Nanaga (0)	Alexandria (MR465) (49.58)	49.58
R72	2	Alexandria (MR465) (0)	Port Alfred (TR4601) (R67) (49.08)	49.08
R72	3	Port Alfred (TR4601) (R67) (0)	Peddie turn off (MR523) (68.10)	68.10
R72	4	Peddie Turn Off (MR523) (0)	East London Airport (DR2108) (61.77)	60.50
TOTAL				227.26

 

Sections within this road alignment that require special attention include:

• Kariega River approach: Sub surface water is being addressed before road surface can be repaired
• Kariega River bridge abutment: Erosion protection work in planning stage
• Settlement areas are currently being investigated by specialists
• Illegal signs: Notification and removal of illegal signs within the road reserve
• Road stud installation will begin first on Section 2 (Alexandria to Port Alfred)
• Sub contract packages for SMMEs: Contracts have closed and will be awarded soon. Grass cutting subcontracts are currently being tendered for by SMMEs.

The 36-month contract is scheduled for completion in October 2015.

A breakdown of quantities to be used during construction

The upgrading of the capacity, additional lanes and resurfacing of the N2/R72 coastal road between Port Elizabeth and East London is listed as a major project in progress. The R72 was one of several provincial roads totalling more than 2 000 km transferred to Sanral at the request of Eastern Cape Premier Noxolo Kiviet.

The project, which links to Sections 1, 2, 3 and 4, will cost R5.3 billion, with the work being carried out by the Sanral appointed construction teams.