The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has announced the commencement of construction work on its mega Mtentu Bridge contract.
This comes after a four-month mobilisation period which started on 5 April 2023 and ended on Friday, 4 August 2023. Awarded on 1 November 2022 to the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) and MECSA Construction joint venture (CCCC MECSA JV), the Mtentu Bridge contract has an estimated budget of R4.05 billion. Construction of the bridge is anticipated to take 50 months, with an expected conclusion date of end 2027.
“During the mobilisation period, SANRAL engaged with stakeholders of both the Northern and Southern banks of the Mtentu Bridge. Local stakeholders have received news of the re-awarding of the contract with excitement and look forward to work resuming following delays caused by the project stoppage in October 2018,” said Mbulelo Peterson, SANRAL Southern Regional Manager.
Once completed, the Mtentu Bridge will be the highest in Africa and one of the longest main-span balanced cantilever bridges in the world, with a main span of 260 metres at a maximum height of around 223 metres.
This week, 15 general workers will start with construction of the site offices, while 30 general labourers will undergo medicals and safety inductions and will subsequently attend to site clearance and grass cutting. Furthermore, two newly qualified unemployed civil engineering graduates have been recruited through the Project Liaison Committee (PLC) to work under this contract.
Construction of boreholes on the North and South banks will begin on 15 August, while construction of toilets, installation of security measures and the relocation of affected households will kick off on 1 September.
The Mtentu Bridge forms part of SANRAL’s N2 Wild Coast Road (N2WCR) programme which entails a 410km stretch of road from East London to the Mtamvuna River on the border of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. Endorsed by the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission (PICC), the N2WCR programme is a catalyst for economic development in the province and forms part of government’s 18 Strategic Infrastructure Projects (SIPS). The N2WCR is SIP3, South-Eastern node and Corridor Development, with its key purpose being to serve as a catalyst to uplift economic growth in the Eastern Cape and KZN provinces.
The Mtentu Bridge contract has a local labour Contract Participation Goal (CPG) of 4%. This will see a minimum of R141 million (excl. VAT) being paid to local labour in wages and salaries, creating a minimum of 1080 full-time employment (FTE) jobs for local skilled and unskilled persons during the contract.
“We are excited about the massive socio-economic impact presented by the construction of the Mtentu Bridge in this region. Approximately 1 800 full-time equivalent jobs will be produced during construction. While numbers will vary during the contract, this equates to an average approximate number of 360 jobs created per month over 50 months, of whom about 300 will be for locals,” added Peterson.
The scope of the new Mtentu tender has been expanded from the original terminated contract to include the upgrading of 18km of a provincial road, linking the future Mkhambati Interchange to the Flagstaff-Holy Cross road, and providing a direct link from the future N2 to the town of Flagstaff, as well as the construction of three nearby community access roads.
“The Project Liaison Committee that will oversee the smooth implementation of the project and safeguard interests of the local community is in place following its election by local stakeholders in 2021. This PLC structure will be instrumental in ensuring that the 30% contract participation goal set on the contract is achieved and to ensure that it benefits the intended beneficiaries,” added Peterson.