N7 upgrade: Tierfontein intersection

The third phase of the overall upgrade of the N7 is concentrated at the Tierfontein intersection, where approximately 9km of the N7 is being constructed to produce a dual carriageway freeway.

The first stage is the construction of the southern carriageway, which comprises two lanes of 3.7m in width. Once this is completed, traffic will be diverted onto this new section, followed by the construction of the northern carriageway to the same standards and measurements.

"We have had our fair share of challenges, particularly with the ground water table being incredibly high, resulting in us having to do significant sub-soil drainage and source large quantities of rock fill," said Joubert Swanepoel, Resident Engineer from ERO Consulting Engineers.

This project comes at a cost of R760 million, of which R40 million goes to funding local labour and a further R130 million for the development of the 11 emerging subcontractors on site at any given time.

"SMME contractor development is a key priority for SANRAL, in line with our commitment to building South Africa's knowledge economy through skills transfer and knowledge sharing," said Randall Cable, SANRAL Western Region Manger.

Andr'e van der Walt, MD of Construction Project Solutions, one of the developing sub-contractors under the mentorship of Triamic Construction, had only praise for the opportunity to not only develop and grow as an emerging business, but also to create employment for upward of 35 staff, of which 20 were sourced from the local community. They are responsible for much of the ancillary work, including the construction of retaining earth walls, asphalt and concrete works.

SANRAL's projects are engineered to not only create transport solutions, but to touch lives right to the core of the communities through which the projects pass. As such, Project Liaison Officer, Michelle Phillips, made sure more than 150 local residents benefit from work opportunities, training and development, which will ultimately stand them in good stead to access further opportunities down the line.

Construction kicked off in January 2017 and it is anticipated that the project will be completed in January 2020.

A video of the project can be found below: