Freight News can confirm this morning that the alternative route through Durban’s old airport site for the movement of abnormal freight out of the port will be available for specialised cargo road freight operators from next Friday, July 1.
This was confirmed by Transnet Property (TP), custodians of the site next to the N2.
Although industry was hoping that the route would be made available sooner, TP General Manager, Tumelo Ramushu, explained last night that all procedures had to be followed meticulously to ensure the safe and secure use of the site.
He said it involved thorough legal and risk-based assessment by the state-owned logistics utility.
The site was initially used by abnormal load transporters after the conventional access way was rendered unusable when recent flooding damaged the southern approach section of the Service Road Bridge across the N2.
The immediate other option for heavy-hauliers was to make their way through the airport to an alternative bridge about two kilometres further down the highway.
Unfortunately, a poorly navigated move by a project cargo operator through the site resulted in damage to airport infrastructure, causing TP to shut the site down.
That was on June 2, the last time abnormal loads of a certain laden height could be moved out of the port.
Earlier this week representatives from industry explained to Freight News that the airport site was really the best alternative to the bridge, without which some abnormal loads couldn’t get across the N2.
Ramushu said TP was aware of the backlog that had built up at the port and was doing everything in its power to accommodate heavy-haul transporters, whilst also acting in the best interests of its tenants.
He said there would be a testing phase for the implementation of what is called the “Temporary Alternative Abnormal Load Access Project”.
This morning TP shared the details of the project with Freight News, but requested for it to be kept confidential.
TP said, instead, it would respond to a set of questions sent out earlier this week.
