According to Premier Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane, the Eastern Cape must persistently upgrade its transportation system to alter the economic climate and the province’s residents’ possibilities for the future.
The observations were made by the Premier on Tuesday in eQonce, in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, during his assessment tour of two significant infrastructure projects presently being carried out by the South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd. (SANRAL).
Transport and Community Safety MEC Xolile Nqatha was beside him.
“It is crucial to develop trade corridors, which include a multi-modal transport system, from key economic hubs across the province, markets within the province and nationally, as well as export hubs, along with the dual development of trade corridors that connect each of the towns in the Eastern Cape to the next, local and district municipalities to one another.
The projects are a part of a total of 18 initiatives worth R7 billion that SANRAL is doing in the province right now.
The new Breidbach Interchange, which will see an enhanced management of traffic flow from Bhisho, Breidbach, Zwelitsha, and East London, is now being built, and it will transform the face of the region where the previous Breidbach Intersection met forever.
Along with a free-flowing interchange at Belstone Bridge and the dualization of the route to Bhisho, the Interchange will also see the building of a connection road from Breidbach in the direction of Sweetwaters.
The R346 connects Kidds Beach and Stutterheim and travels south-southwest through Braunschweig to eQonce, where it merges with the N2.
According to a statement from the Office of the Premier, a community development project will also be built from traffic lights that are installed along the road to Tshatshu.
Consulting engineers described the project plan management of the clover-shaped junctions, which they claim are anticipated to be finished in 2024, as they guided the Premier and his entourage through the development stages of the projects.
The provincial leader urged the business community, in particular small company owners, to seize chances that would arise from the construction of a road network infrastructure.
This undoubtedly opens up new possibilities for bringing conveniences like restaurants and retail centres closer to neighbourhoods that would not otherwise have access to them.
Mabuyane also went to the location of a part of the N2 that is now being built, from Green River to Buffalo River (Nonkcampa/Bulembu Airport turnoff to Buffalo River).
In addition, two bridges across two tributaries of the Buffalo River will be built as part of the project, as will a bridge over a railroad on the Tshoxa River.
In KwaRhayi Village, a community development project will be built.
Additionally, the connection between Ginsberg (the Biko Heritage Center) and the Engen parking will be resurfaced.
The national roads agency recognised the need of resolving the legacy of the province’s infrastructure backlog, and the premier welcomed the collaboration between SANRAL and the provincial government of the Eastern Cape.
This is especially true for the province’s eastern regions, which traditionally lacked development owing to Apartheid laws and a condition of destitution brought on by the theft of land and assets from the native African people. – SAnews.gov.za