GEORGE – Construction work on the long-delayed Gwaing River Bridge near George will resume in October after the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) awarded a new contract to complete the project.
Power Construction has been awarded the R170 million contract to finish the doubling of the bridge over the N2 national road in the Western Cape, with the project expected to take over 15 months.
The construction period is estimated to start mid-October this year after a three-month mobilisation period, with the anticipated project completion in mid-January 2028.
Eight years of setbacks and delays
The project has been plagued by setbacks since construction officially commenced on 29 January 2018, with an original completion date of 30 July 2020.
Two previous contractors, KPMM Roads & Earthworks and Mamlambo Construction, were forced into voluntary liquidation due to financial difficulties, leaving the project incomplete. Previous attempts to procure contractors thereafter were also unsuccessful.
The initial contractor, KPMM Roads & Earthworks, started work in 2018 but faced cash flow constraints and the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. The contract was later assigned to subcontractor Mamlambo Construction in November 2021.
Flooding compounds financial woes
However, Mamlambo Construction filed for voluntary liquidation in June 2022, leading to the termination of the contract. Flooding at the Gwaing River in November 2021 also damaged site formwork, further complicating construction.
A tender advertised in March 2024 was eventually cancelled without an appointment, adding to the delays.
The mobilisation period, which has already started, is the period in which the contractor prepares for the commencement of works, establishes resources, engages with stakeholders and affected communities, develops plans to achieve Sanral’s transformation objectives, and ensures all contractual, operational and statutory obligations are in place.
Scope of work and completion timeline
The scope of work includes the completion of the new 180m long second bridge, repair and refurbishment of the existing bridge, dualling of approximately 2.2 km of the existing N2, and minor widening and resurfacing of the existing carriageway.
Approximately R92.33 million has already been spent on the project, with an estimated 55% of the total work completed. The new contract value of R170 million excludes VAT and CPA, representing an increase from the initial projected cost of approximately R141.4 million due to remobilisation costs, material price inflation and site establishment.
Sanral’s provincial head for the Western Cape Province said the agency remains committed to successfully completing the project despite all the delays encountered.
Commitment to complete
The project aims to convert the existing N2 section into a dual-carriage freeway to accommodate increased traffic volumes and improve road safety in the George area.
In June, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment granted an amendment extending the period to complete construction from five years to 15 years from the start of site activity.
