Tenders to the value of R8.3bn for construction work in KwaZulu-Natal will be issued within the current financial year, as announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

This will include seven major tenders on the N3, which will go out in the next three months, once the regulatory approvals have been received and land acquisition finalised.

This massive programme that will stretch over several years will increase road safety, ease traffic flows as well as access to and from industrial areas between these two major cities in KwaZulu-Natal.

It is part of a R40bn two to three-year investment programme by the roads agency announced last week.

Looking at a bigger picture for the N3 and N2 upgrades, a total of 12 projects is expected to create more than 23 500 direct job opportunities. The programme will take eight to 10 years to be completed.

Treasury has allocated about R21.5bn per year for the maintenance and improvement of Sanral’s 19 262km non-toll network, including the national road network in KwaZulu-Natal.

The Sanral network forms the backbone of the country’s transport system which is relied upon heavily on road transport for the movement of 94% of all people and 87% of all goods in the country.

A growing share of contracts will be allocated to black-owned construction companies and enterprises owned by women, the youth and the disabled.

In its long-term vision, Horizon 2030, Sanral committed itself to the transformation of the construction and engineering sectors through the allocation of tenders to new entrants in these sectors.