A 112-kilometre stretch of road on the N2 highway – from East London to the Eastern Cape border – is set for a major upgrade which includes the construction of two mega-bridge structures, seven additional major river bridges and five interchange bridges
Minister of Transport, Joe Maswanganyi, met with Eastern Cape premier, Phumulo Masualle, yesterday (Thursday) to deliver an update on the N2 Wild Coast Project in the province, pointing out that the remainder of the project was focused on the upgrading of existing roads and the construction of ring roads at Mthatha, Idutwya and Butterworth.
“Economically, the project will result in significantly faster delivery times and lower transportation costs in terms of freight,” said Maswanganyi. He noted that once the entire N2 project was completed, the route would be about 85 kilometres shorter and up to three hours faster.
Maswanganyi added that the project would also significantly increase the opportunities available to local businesses and that investment in the road could have major socio-economic benefits.
The total budget for the Eastern Cape portion of the N2 upgrade project is around R8.5- R9 billion.
