The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) is planning to spend just over R60-billion on road infrastructure in the Eastern Cape province over the next five years, southern regional project manager Marlize Nel-Verwey said while speaking at the inaugural Eastern Cape Investment Conference, in East London, on November 16.

This follows on the entity’s investment of more than R8-billion in roads construction projects in the province over the past three years.

Sanral was invited to participate in the conference because the roads agency is one of the province’s key investors, with road infrastructure projects and a national road network that continues to be a catalyst for socioeconomic development in the province, providing much-needed job opportunities and developing skills in the Eastern Cape.

“Over the past three years alone, Sanral has invested just over R8-billion in the Eastern Cape, with about 82% of our projects benefitting majority black-owned companies. We also intend to spend just over R60-billion on road infrastructure in the province over the next five years,” she said.

Sanral chairperson Themba Mhambi added that the Eastern Cape province was a major province in the agency’s portfolio largely because the province had been ignored historically when it came to investing in roads infrastructure.

“At Sanral, we link infrastructure development to economic development in our country. We see ourselves as not only responsible for building and maintaining the national road network, but we also extend our mandate to be one of a catalyst for economic growth and development.”

He added that the developments that Sanral had undertaken in the Eastern Cape were linked to other secondary roads in the province, and that the entity continued "to ensure integration and synergy with local and provincial roads that do not necessarily fall within [its] mandate”.

Welcoming Sanral’s investment in the province, Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane said the roads agency was one of the province’s 11 new investors.

“We welcome these new investors to our province. Their contribution will certainly make a huge difference in our provincial economy and create jobs for our people. We implore the host municipalities to take good care of these new investors,” said Mabuyane.

Over the past three financial years, the provincial government has invested over R22.7-billion on social and economic infrastructure. Over the next three financial years, it is projected that this investment will have increased to R24.6-billion, while local government will invest R21.5-billion for social and economic infrastructure in the province.

Sanral’s projects in the province are at various degrees of completion, with some under construction and others in the tender and evaluation stage, or in the planning phase for the current financial year.

Some of the key projects that have been completed include the special maintenance project from the R75 national road in Jansenville to the R63/R75 intersection. This project was valued at R125-million.

In the Buffalo City Metro, the Breidbach and Belstone interchanges project on the N2 national road is currently under construction at a total cost of R437-million, and the improvement of the N2 Green River to King Williams Town project at a total cost of R500-million is also under construction.

The Mtentu Bridge contract on the N2 Wild Coast Road (N2WCR) project, valued at just over R4-billion, and the R56 Matatiele project, valued at R1.2-billion, have recently been awarded.

There are also various community development projects in parts of the province currently been undertaken during this financial year.