Transport Minister to officiate at sod-turning for R2.4 billion Ashburton Interchange

Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga is to officiate tomorrow at a sod-turning ceremony for the R2.4 billion Ashburton Interchange Project in Msunduzi Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal.

KZN’s Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube will also attend the ceremony. According to the Department of Transport, the Ashburton Interchange is part of the larger N2 and N3 upgrade programme to bolster the capacity of the North-South corridor.

“The project will improve the seamless movement of cargo from the Port of Durban to the rest of the country and the SADC region. The minister is also expected to undertake a site inspection, engage with contractor beneficiaries, and address stakeholders whose lives will be positively changed by this project,” read the department’s statement.

The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) has been investing heavily in road infrastructure projects, with 320 tenders to the value of R51 billion awarded in the financial year that has just concluded. This is significantly up from the previous year, which saw the agency make 377 tender awards of R22bn.

“Over and above the tenders awarded by Sanral’s head office and its various regional offices, 12 contracts above R750 million were awarded after the board reviewed the submissions as part of its oversight role. The total value of these is R28 billion, of which the last four, awarded on March 31 are split between KZN and the Eastern Cape, with award letters currently being finalised. The Sanral board notes and reviews any tender with a value of R750 million and above,” it said.

“In line with Sanral’s commitment to economic transformation, at least 30% of the contract value of each tender will be subcontracted to small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs). This effectively ensures that at least R15.3 billion will go to SMMEs located in the various communities in which the projects will be implemented,” said the agency.

Through these awards, the roads agency continues on a positive trajectory to drive economic recovery, and it should be seen as part of the broader national effort by the government to invest in economic infrastructure.

Sanral’s board chairperson, Themba Mhambi, said the agency was committed to its transformation efforts, going beyond facilitating access to black-owned businesses. “We want them to participate, grow, and ultimately prosper.”

Sanral has embarked on an extensive training and capacity-building campaign that targets more than 40 000 SMMEs over a three-year period, effectively teaching them to submit compliant, competitive, and profitable tenders, the agency said.