President Jacob Zuma will on Tuesday, 8 October 2013, officially open the R81, a major road connecting Polokwane and Giyani, in the Limpopo province.
The event is one of the major highlights of October Transport Month activities as well as government's programme of rolling out infrastructure projects.
Municipalities that are set to benefit from this infrastructure milestone are the Capricorn District, the Polokwane Local and Mopani District Municipalities. This milestone, however, is also a great achievement for the people of the Limpopo province in government’s continued effort to provide services to the people of South Africa.
Now fully completed, the R81 will expedite the time and cost of doing business between Polokwane and Giyani and in the Republic broadly. President Zuma will be accompanied by Transport Minister Honourable Dipuo Peters, Transport Deputy Minister Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga and Limpopo Premier Stanley Mathabatha during the official ceremony.
The details of the event are as follows:
Date: Tuesday, 8 October 2013
Time: 09h00
Venue: Oscar Mpheta Stadium, University of Limpopo, Mankweng, Polokwane.
We wish to request the media covering the event to please RSVP with Hlomani Baloyi on 083 276 1295 or hlomanibaloyi@gmail.com or Sam Monareng on 071 872 0744 or monarens@dot.gov.za
NB: Transport has been arranged for members of the media to cover the official ceremony.
Members of the media are requested to assemble at the main entrance of the university promptly at 09h00 to be transported to the official opening of the R81 by the President and Dignitaries.
No other vehicles will be permitted to drive to the official opening site.
Members of the media are also requested to bring their identity documents and press cards for registration purposes as strict accreditation procedures will be followed.
Enquiries:
Tiyani Rikhotso
Cell: 083 570 1275
About the R81:
- The project commences at Boyne (km 39,40) which is located approximately 39km east of Polokwane and terminates at the T-junction between R71 and R30 which is situated approximately 7km north west of Tzaneen (km 87,80).
- Serving as a major link between Polokwane in the west and the Lowveld towns of Tzaneen and Modjadjieskloof (Duiwelskloof) in the east and the further afield towns of Phalaborwa and Hoedspruit.
- Providing a vital all weather access to the forests of exotic pines and eucalyptus plantations together with a saw mill located on R71 at km 45,5.
- Catering for a high tourist potential to the pristine nature of the area together with providing direct access to the Kruger National Park via the Phalaborwa Gate.
1. Technical background
- Preserving the existing pavement, extending pavement life, enhancing pavement performance, ensuring cost effective strategies and reducing road user delays.
- Strengthening of the road pavement layers taking the form of partial reconstruction and an appropriate surface seal.
- Road safety improvements in the form of surfaced shoulders and passing/climbing lanes to dissipate long queues of slow moving vehicles.
- Prevent the intrusion of surface water into the pavement layers.
- Installation of subsurface drains for the removal of water in road earthworks and pavement layers.
- Geometric/safety improvements at at-grade intersections.
- Hydraulic capacity improvements and rehabilitation of existing structures.
- Construction of retaining walls to provide slope stability.
2. Scope of works
Partial reconstruction of 24,0km existing road by means of adding a 150mm crushed stone base 1,5m surfaced shoulder and providing climbing/passing lanes to improve capacity and reduce driver frustration due to limited passing opportunities coupled with heavy vehicles operating at a crawling speed. The section also includes the upgrading of the intersections at Haenertsburg and at Stanford College.
Surfacing on the newly constructed pavement is to consist of a double seal with 19,0mm and 6,7mm aggregate (in two applications) with modified binder (S-E1).
The existing two river bridges at Haenertsburg (Broederstroom) and at Stanford College (Helpmekaar river) are both being demolished and replaced with new widened bridges with greater openings due to the hydraulic capacity of the two bridges being inadequate.
There are also six retaining walls to be constructed on this section of the route. Retaining walls in fill will be constructed at either the shoulder break point or at the toe of the fill while in cut conditions retaining walls will be constructed by means of concrete sprayed retaining wall with soil nails to provide cut slope stability.
Drainage on this section is to consist of the following measures:
- Extension of existing culverts.
- Construction of new culverts by either half-width construction or by means of pipe jacking.
- Construction of concrete lined side drains and where necessary and the removal of existing concrete drains which are badly damaged resulting in the ingress of surface water into the road pavement layers.
12,3km of route consists of base and surface patch repairs followed by a single seal with 13,2mm aggregate and an S-E1 modified binder.
The section in the Magoebaskloof pass (6,0km) with steep grades and sharp horizontal curves consists of rehabilitation work on the base layer and surface repairs followed by 40mm hot mixed asphalt (BRASO) semi open grade with bitumen rubber binder. A substantial length of the existing concrete side drains are in a poor condition and will be removed wand reinstated with new concrete side drains.
The 3,0km section of the route is at the bottom of Magoebaskloof pass and rehabilitation measures consist of base and surface repairs followed by a single seal with 13,2mm aggregate and an S-E1 modified binder.
Rehabilitation of 3,1km consists of recycling the existing base and subbase to establish a C3 subbase on which a 150mm crushed stone base is constructed followed by a 19/67mm double seal and n S-E1 modified binder.
3. Community benefits
- Maximum local labour employed in a month was 433 of which 76 were women.
- Person hours of 1 509 622 at a value of R50,1 million.
- Twelve SMME subcontractors employed at a value of R27,1 million.
- Two hundred and two local community members were trained at a cost of R386 000.
