SMEC South Africa makes inroads in N3 upgrade project
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 Preview | Dawie Erasmus_Functional General Manager, Roads & Highways, South Africa | 5.16 MB | Download |
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PRESS RELEASE
SMEC South Africa makes inroads in N3 upgrade project
7 March 2016: SMEC South Africa is undertaking the detailed design for the upgrade of an 11 km stretch of the N3 highway between Durban and Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal.
The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) awarded the tender to SMEC South Africa in May 2015, which completed its assessment report of the project in November 2015. It subsequently commenced with the review of the preliminary design, prepared by a separate service provider to SANRAL.
This review is due for completion in March 2016. It will be followed by the detailed design, which will be completed by January 2017, with the construction tender for the massive project envisaged for award in June 2017.
SMEC South Africa’s responsibilities include project management, together with geometric, structural and pavement design, geotechnical and founding investigations, geotechnical and value engineering, works contract preparation and construction supervision.
The upgrade is a Strategic Infrastructure Project (SIP) as identified by the government, known as the ‘SIP 2: Durban-Free State-Gauteng Logistics and Industrial Corridor’. Expansion of this corridor has become essential due to the dramatic increase in traffic between the Port of Durban and Gauteng.
“The envisaged upgrade involves adding a fourth lane in each direction of Section 1 of the N3 from the Mariannhill Toll Plaza in a westerly direction to Key Ridge, where the M13 joins the N3,” explains Dawie Erasmus, Functional General Manager for Roads and Highways, SMEC South Africa.
The mountainous terrain and major structural work involved in this project is estimated to be in the region of R1.6 billion.
“Substantial structural work is required to widen the road and add a fourth lane on a steep gradient along a steep side slope in mountainous terrain. This requires extensive earthworks and geotechnical solutions to ensure the stability of the fills and cuts,” Erasmus highlights.
The scope of works also include the widening of the 410-m-long viaduct over the Umhlatuzana River and extensive retaining structures. The original viaduct was built using the incremental launching construction method.
“This is an exciting project to be involved in, and one that calls for SMEC South Africa to cater for all aspects of highway design, including the necessary due diligence to address all the risk issues associated with the difficult terrain,” Erasmus concluded.
SMEC South Africa’s footprint in the roads sector is built upon its June 2012 acquisition of multidisciplinary consulting services firm Vela VKE which, since its establishment in 1947, has undertaken many highway projects in South Africa, including previous upgrades of the N3.
Vela VKE designed the Huguenot Tunnel in the Western Cape and was involved with the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Scheme, which saw the upgrading of the R21 between Johannesburg and Pretoria.
Ends
Notes to the editor
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About SMEC South Africa
SMEC South Africa provides consultancy services for the lifecycle of a project to a broad range of sectors, which include; hydropower, transport, water, natural resources and environment, geotechnical, mining, tunnelling, urban development, renewable energy, power, government and advisory services and social infrastructure development. The SMEC Group has over 5 300 employees and an established network of over 75 offices throughout Australia, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Pacific, North and South America.
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