Dube Tradeport construction kicks off in June

Facility will be operational by 2009 IN AN exclusive release to FTW, information reveals that the R2.4-billion King Shaka Airport and its accompanying cargo facility, Dube Tradeport, is expected to start construction in June and be operational by end 2009. The last stumbling block could have been the environmental impact assessment (EIA). But, Jenny Mitchell of the Institute of Natural Resources – commissioned to conduct the environmental study – told FTW that the favourable report should be tabled by the end of this month (April), and approved by the department of environmental affairs and tourism in the first half of June. And, said Hamish Erskine of Dube Tradeport, negotiations with the preferred bidder in the tender for the construction project are in their final stages. First, he told FTW, the short-list of four bidders had been further shortlisted to one contender – the Ilembe consortium led by Group 5. “Negotiations will shortly be concluded,” Erskine told FTW, with construction to begin as soon as the EIA has been finalised. He described it as a “very tight construction schedule”, but expected the tradeport to be operational by end 2009.