Sanral R61 upgrade project in Eastern Cape to start in September

Source: Supplied

“While the entire upgrade of the road is envisaged to be completed in 18 months, we have allocated the first three months of the construction to what we call the mobilisation period," said Mbulelo Peterson, Sanral’s regional manager for the Southern Region.

"This is a period in which H&I Construction, the appointed contractor, will interact with the project liaison committee (PLC) and craft work packages that comprise the contract participation goals (CPG), which is the amount that will be allocated to targeted enterprises and suppliers. These matters will be discussed and agreed upon within the first three months with the PLC. The PLC comprises representatives from the municipality, traditional leadership, business, and other sectors of society.”

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Job creation

According to Peterson, the CPG on the project is R71m, which is 30% of the total project value. About R18.9m of the project has also been earmarked to create job opportunities for local community members. About 160 to 200 job opportunities will be created for skilled and semi-skilled workers during the construction phase. Skills development and other training opportunities will be offered to those working on site.

The R61 project came to a standstill in June 2018 because the previous contractor was placed under business rescue and subsequently liquidated. The contract was re-tendered in late 2020, leading to H&I Construction’s appointment.