UPDATE: No end in sight for N2 roadworks

In the never-ending saga of roadworks on the N2 north of Salt Rock, the project is once again delayed.

In June, two years after work on this stretch of highway began, SANRAL said a new contractor would be appointed and would be on site by September.

However, nothing has happened and the date for work to restart has now been pushed back another nine months.

“We have to re-tender the entire contract and hopefully we will have a new contractor on site by July,” said SANRAL Eastern Region project manager Ridhwaan Mahomed.

Work at the site began in February 2016 and was slated to be finished early in 2017.

Since then the completion date has been pushed back time and again as the site stands empty.

Mahomed blamed the original delays on the contractor being unable to source materials as specified in the contract. However, this was disputed by one of the main material suppliers.

Also read: Poor materials stall N2 roadworks

Shortly afterwards the contractor, Nyoni Projects, was put in liquidation after having been paid R15,5 million by SANRAL, and the tender process had to be restarted.

“The original appointment value of the contract was R57.4 million. SANRAL only pays service providers for acceptable completed work. The contractor had only completed 27% of the original contracted work and was only paid for that amount of work,” Mahomed stated, though he did not say whether work already completed would have to be redone after months exposed to the elements.

Blythedale resident Todd Chavez says he is beyond angry at SANRAL’s apparent incompetence.

“This is a joke. We are coming up on three years now to broaden a short stretch of road – which is ironic because while we wait the road has been narrowed to a single lane,” he said.

“I cannot think of a single reason for this to have dragged out this long unless there is corruption at play.”

Mahomed strongly denied any allegations of corruption.

“We are trying our utmost best to resolve the situation,” he said.

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