A boost in job creation and opportunities within Drakenstein and Breede Valley is what is expected when infrastructure works on the northbound Huguenot Tunnel start.

This is according to Barbara Creecy, National Minister of Transport, who visited the northbound tunnel, which is located next to southbound tunnel that is currently in use for traffic, last Thursday (24 October).

Creecy was accompanied by Sanral chief executive officer Reginald Demana, Western Cape MEC for Mobility Isaac Sileku as well as the Executive Mayor of Drakenstein, Stephen Korabie.

Procurement of goods and services

This much-needed project is set to cost the government R4,5 billion and will be completed over the next three years.

“In terms of the jobs created in the road construction there will be about 500 jobs that will be created in the actual construction of this project. The intention is of the R4,5 billion is to procure goods and services to the value of 30% of the overall contract for small enterprises.

“And of course you would know we’ve got women-owned enterprises and youth-owned enterprises. Sanral plays a very important role in supporting and developing enterprises, particularly small construction companies, that use the experience that they have in Sanral to gradually move up the grading. So far the work that we have done in the tunnel [that is currently in use] we’ve spent about R50 million on youth- and women-owned enterprises on the upgrades.”

Creecy said when President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered his state of the nation address at the beginning of the 7th administration, in the national assembly, he indicated that during this term of government he wanted to make sure a number of infrastructure projects were developing. The upgrading of the Huguenot Tunnel formed part of the projects the President referred to.

“Firstly, so that we can grow our economy and create work,” Creecy continued, “and secondly, because we understand that transport plays a very important role in the development of the logistics sector in general and of course this would be effective movement of people and goods.

This tunnel was originally constructed in 1988 and the northbound tunnel was then created as a service point for evacuation and maintenance purposes for the main tunnel.

“What we are now going to do is a significant project that is valued at R4,5 billion that will see this tunnel fully commissioned and operationalised. We will have to put in a ceiling, ventilation works, lighting and of course the proper development of the road.

“Once this tunnel becomes operational, and it’s going to take three years to commission, we will then move all the traffic from the southbound side onto the northbound side and spend a year developing the southbound tunnel so it meets international safety standards in terms of electricity provision and so on.”

Creecy also pointed out some of the upgrade work and maintenance behind the scenes that has already taken place within the current operational tunnel. The tunnel cuts off about 11 km of the journey between Worcester and Paarl, and with the northbound tunnel to be opened in a few years time this project will also assist the economy of the Western Cape.

“You can see the number of trucks and also normal vehicles that are moving through here. We estimate about 13 000 vehicles [drive through the tunnel] a day and of course on days when there are high volumes of traffic such as, for example, the festive season we would be seeing as many as 25 000 vehicles pass through every day.

“The hinterland here is a very important agricultural area. It’s an area where we must move goods and services to our ports of Cape Town and Saldanha Bay. And so having the situation where we’ve got two lanes of traffic in either direction is going to considerably speed up the movement of people and goods.”

toll collections raise R450m pa

At the moment it’s costing the government an average amount of R60 million a year to run this particular toll concession, but the toll collections are about R450 million a year.

“And so we do believe it is financially feasible and sustainable to improve the road conditions here without raising the baseline toll,” Creecy said. “I’m sure this is good news to those who are using this as an important roadway on a regular basis.”

She also wanted to ensure road users that there would be minimal disruptions for traffic when this project is in the works. Once it is completed there will be two lanes of traffic going northbound and southbound, which will see to it that goods and people will move swifter and safer.

improving rail transport will reduce demands on roads

Sileku welcomed the upgrades, especially because they will positively impact the economy of the province, as well as help to alleviate traffic congestion.

Demana reiterated that this project has become urgent especially because roads are playing an increasingly more important role in moving freight with the demise of rail.

“We are hoping to see rail improving so that Transnet can start carrying more freight on the rail as we used to have many years before, which will then reduce the demand on the roads, but for now a lot of traffic is moving on the road and therefore we need to be expanding capacity roads accordingly including this tunnel.”

Korabie stood proudly while he mentioned the recent award that was bestowed upon Drakenstein as the best secondary city in South Africa.

“In Drakenstein, there is an enormous amount of development taking place – something like R42 billion. Here is now another R4,5 billion that must be completed over the next three to five years.

“I have already arranged that we sit and talk with Sanral, because there is 30% of that R4,5 billion that is made available for small businesses in Drakenstein and in the Breede Valley. I want to make sure that our people in Drakenstein benefit from this development that will take place. So we are very happy and grateful and we look forward to working with Sanral.”