Publication: SAICE Civil Engineering
Issue: May 2024, Vol. 32, No. 4

The Wild Coast N2 Highway Project includes the construction of a 17.3 km greenfields portion of the new N2 highway. This portion of the new N2, known as Package 5, is located near Flagstaff in the Ingquza Hill Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province. It is being constructed in the form of a single carriageway road between the two new major bridges – Msikaba Bridge and Mtentu Bridge – which are both also currently under construction.

Knight Piésold Consulting is appointed by SANRAL for the engineering services for all project phases for Package 5, while WBHO-H&I Joint Venture is appointed as the main contractor. The project commenced in February 2023 and is progressing well.

Ongoing works include the exhumation and reburial of 188 existing graves along the new alignment and construction of 20 new houses to relocate affected families. Knight Piesold and WBHO-H&I JV work closely with the local chiefs and families to ensure all the needs of those affected are met. Also underway are the relocation of existing services, bulk earthworks, construction of several concrete culverts, and construction of the largest concrete structure along the Package 5 alignment, the 100 m long Kwadlambu River Bridge.

Package 5 will also cover the upgrading of existing divisional roads, rural tracks and the provision of new access roads (totaling 41 km), new underpass and overpass structures for pedestrian, cattle, and vehicle crossings as well as two new major interchanges.

The estimated construction cost of the project is R3.3 billion and the construction period is 54 months, with completion due in August 2027. The project will provide approximately 118 targeted enterprise subcontract packages for local subcontractors (CIDB gradings 1 to 6), and 300 work opportunities for the local community.

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