Construction work on the multibillion-rand Mtentu and Msikaba bridge projects in the Eastern Cape are both facing renewed delays, says the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral).

The mega-bridges form part of Sanral’s N2 Wild Coast road project, which entails the construction of a 410 km stretch of road from East London to the Mtamvuna river on the border of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.

Spokesperson for the State-owned road builder, Lwando Mahlasela, says construction work at the Mtentu site has fallen behind schedule owing to “unforeseen circumstances encountered during the construction of the snaking access roads to all bridge piers on both the northern and southern sides”.

These challenges revolve around geotechnical, drainage and slope-stability issues.

The contractor has submitted a formal motivation for the delay, which is under review in accordance with the provisions of the contract, says Mahlasela.

It is not yet clear what the revised date will be for completion of the project.

The Mtentu contract was awarded to the China Communications Construction Company and Mota-Engil Construction South Africa (Mecsa) joint venture on November 1, 2022.

Construction of the bridge was anticipated to take 50 months at the time, with an expected conclusion date of end-2027.

This is the second attempt to build the structure, after the Aveng Strabag joint venture walked out on the project in early 2019, following months of violent community protests.

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 m at a maximum height of about 223 m.

The Msikaba bridge is being built by a partnership between South Africa’s Concor and Mecsa.

Announced in 2019, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was originally scheduled for completion by the end of 2022.

The bridge is a 580-m-long cable-stayed road bridge spanning the Msikaba river.

Once completed, the pylon spires of the bridge are set to tower almost 130 m high on each side of the nearly 200-m-deep river gorge.

Mahlasela says construction work is continuing on this project.

“This single-span, cable-stayed bridge, spanning over half a kilometre, is a complex, yet entirely achievable engineering undertaking.

“The contract remains intact and binding, with sufficient budget allocated to continue the works.

“The primary challenges relate to cash flow and production constraints, resulting in slower progress.”

Mahlasela tells Engineering News that the latter is linked largely to the fabrication of deck segments in Mpumalanga’s steel sector.

“The project is currently experiencing the impact of the partial collapse of South Africa’s steel fabrication sector.”

“A motivation for the delay was submitted and subsequently granted,” says Mahlasela.

“The specific details of the extension remain a matter between the employer and the contractor for now. Suffice to note that the contract remains intact and binding.”

No revised completion date has been made public.

As for the rest of the N2 project, road construction between Lingeni and Msikaba is currently in month five of a 45-month construction programme and is progressing well, says Mahlasela.

The road construction project between the Msikaba and Mtentu bridges has inched over the halfway mark, and is two weeks behind schedule, he adds.

“A recovery plan is in place to regain lost time.”

The N2 Wild Coast project – a mix between the construction of new stretches of highway and the upgrading of existing stretches – was, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, slated for completion in 2024.