Sanral set for R816-m upgrade in Durban

The South African National Roads Agency Ltd (Sanral) has announced its intention to upgrade the N2/M41 Mount Edgecombe interchange north of Durban to a four-level freeflow configuration. At an estimated cost of R816 million, the upgrade to the interchange will play a major role in easing congestion in the area, said Sanral spokesman Vusi Mona. With construction set to start soon and the upgrade estimated to take at least three years to complete, Mona called on road users to practise caution when using this stretch of road during the upgrade. “During construction, the traffic will be accommodated on temporary widened sections but major disruption can unfortunately not be prevented due to limited space, tighter corners and reduced lane widths, all negatively affecting traffic flow,” he said. According to Mona, further extensions and upgrades on the N2 Wildcoast highway between East London and Durban will also get under way soon. After initial community resistance to the planned roadworks, Rural Development Minister Gugile Nkwinti stepped in and agreements have now been reached, said Mona, which will allow for construction to begin. “We believe that the planned expansion of the N2 to Durban will open up a corridor of investment and opportunities previously closed off to members of the rural communities along this particular stretch of coastline.” The N2 Wild Coast toll road was to stretch from Gonubie near East London through to the Isipingo interchange south of Durban, but Sanral has scrapped plans to toll the KZN part of the road.