Next stage in Maydon Wharf revamp gets under way

The R1.5 billion revamp of seven of the Maydon Wharf berths has seen berth 12 completed, and the construction now to be extended to berths 13 and 14, then berths 1 and 2, followed finally by berths 3 and 4. That was the message from Transnet National Ports Authority at a stakeholder briefing in Durban last week. They also announced that the upgrading of Bayhead Road into a four-lane dual carriageway – designed to alleviate the truck congestion on the old narrow road – had been handed over to the TNPA in October. But a major portlocated business told FTW that certain sections of the blacktop surface had already started delaminating with worrying potholes appearing that would damage truck and trailer tyres, suspension and axles. FTW is also covering this issue of concern for truckers and other road vehicle users. Another report was that the Durban container terminal (DCT) project to install seven new tandemlift ship-to-shore cranes had seen phase 1 completed – the construction of crane rail beams at berth 203. Finally, the R57.7 million project at Island View to extend the existing bunker barge berth (berth 10) by 45 metres to 176 m has also been completed. This “auspicious” get together was addressed by a large team of senior Transnet executives, each of whom gave up their valuable time to describe separate parts of the overall port modernisation upgrade. But little new was revealed, with the information largely a repeat of previous meetings that FTW has attended, and has reported on in detail in previous editions going back as far as 18 months ago. It also came as a disappointment for a number of FTW freight industry contacts who attended the meeting – but came away complaining that a rather large amount of taxpayers’ money had been wasted on what one of them described as “a grand show, signifying nothing”. While TNPA CEO, Tau Morwe, was listed as a speaker, he was unable to attend because of an overseas trip. He was expected by attendees to reveal some astounding new information. But, if he was, he didn’t pass on the information to any of his fellow executives to present to us. So we all came away disappointed. INSERT ‘A rather large amount of taxpayers’ money was wasted on what one attendee described as a grand show, signifying nothing.’