Local officials have welcomed the anouncement of a planned upgrade of the N2 between the Fish River Pass and Grahamstown. The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) this week announced the imminent upgrade of a 47km stretch of the N2 between the Fish River Pass and the ‘City of Saints’.
Local officials have welcomed the anouncement of a planned upgrade of the N2 between the Fish River Pass and Grahamstown. The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) this week announced the imminent upgrade of a 47km stretch of the N2 between the Fish River Pass and the ‘City of Saints’.
The work is scheduled to start before the end of this year, possibly as early as September and will cost R900 million, according to Steven Robertson, a Project Manager at Sanral.
In addition, 360 South Africans could find themselves employed for the duration of the project, at a cost of about R36-million, Robertson said, adding that construction will take between six and seven years.
Makana Municipality Director of engineering and infrastructural services, Emmanuel Myalato told Grocott's Mail this week that while they hadn't been aware of the plans, it was welcome news.
“Makana Municipality is not behind this but we are excited," Myalato said. "It should ease congestion and help eliminate road accidents.”
The upgrades are intended to improve the capacity of the N2, Robertson said, making it wider and subsequently alleviating some risks to road users.
The project will be implemented in stages and is part of a long-term strategy to improve roads around and between Grahamstown and King William's Town, which are frequently used by buses and minibus taxis.
The roads agency has however not provided alternative routes to be used during the construction phase, suggesting that while road users will reap benefits in the future, they should prepare themselves for an uncomfortable present.
In the past, Sanral has had stop-and-wait periods of up to 20 minutes, west on the N2 on the way to Port Elizabeth, and east to Johannesburg.
