15 May 2023 Update two (2): Gwaing Road (DR1618) Rehabilitation on schedule

Media Release: Update two (2): Gwaing Road (DR1618) Rehabilitation on schedule

For Immediate Release
15 May 2023

The R67 million Gwaing Road (DR1618) rehabilitation is progressing smoothly and remains on track for completion by June 2024. The budget for this project was allocated by the Western Cape Government (WCG). Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) continues its function through an Agency Agreement for the WCG and remains committed to delivering critical regional road infrastructure projects as planned.

A site inspection visit was conducted today, 15 May 2023 by WCG Minister of Infrastructure, Tertuis Simmers with the GRDM Executive Mayor, Alderman Memory Booysen, George Executive Mayor Ald. Leon van Wyk and other representatives from Provincial and Local Governments. Findings were positive with Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) workers and municipalities working towards common goals of completing a world-class road within the planned budget and on schedule.

According to John Daniels, GRDM Executive Manager for Roads Services, “a team of 70 employees are working on the project, with 44 of them being employed under the EPWP”. Simmers also took time to engage with the EPWP workers and to hear what their needs were. He was subsequently briefed during a walk-about on the DR1618 by Chesney Roelf, GRDM Senior Engineering Technician about the progress of the project.

Simmers boasted about projects of nearly R500 million that were completed in the Western Cape months ahead of schedule, of which one will be officially handed over by July and the other towards the end of November 2023.

“The WCG has exceeded all our Full-Time Equivalent EPWP targets and plans to push for more EPWP workers to be upskilled going forward,” said Simmers.

Chesney Roelf, during the walkabout, said: “As of now, we are focused on erecting new fencing along the project site and busy with the first of four road layer works. The GRDM is also constructing the roadbed, and upgrading the storm-water network. The road will be 6,8m bituminous surfaced width, ideal for commercial agricultural transport.” Simmers alluded to the impact of commercial Agricultural transportation on such roads and it was confirmed by Daniels that the road layers will include cement and bitumen mixes that are flexible to provide structural strength.

Chesney Roelf, GRDM Senior Engineering Technician (middle), briefs WCG Minister of Infrastructure, Tertuis Simmers on the progress of the rehabilitation of Gwaing Road. Pictured (l-r), George Mayor Ald. Leon van Wyk, WCG Minister Tertuis Simmers, GRDM Engineering Technician Chesney Roelf, GRDM Executive Manager for Roads John Daniels and GRDM Municipal Manager Monde Stratu.

Roelf also explained that GRDM is installing 27 pipe crossings with concrete headwalls to ensure effective stormwater management. This was in response to George Municipality’s Executive Mayor, Ald. Leon van Wyk, pointing to the importance of proper stormwater management. GRDM will upgrade stormwater drainage channels.

“At specific sections of the project, concrete-lined drains will be implemented to enhance drainage efficiency and prevent water-related issues,” said Roelf.

WCG and the GRDM sincerely appreciate the public’s patience and understanding as it works diligently to upgrade the road infrastructure.

WCG Minister Tertuis Simmers thanked the EPWP workers for their dedication to the project and inspired them to work towards a future where they will also be able to be contracted to manage projects in the future.

The group of EPWP workers, pleasantly surprised by the visit of Minister Simmers, Mayors and the GRDM Municipal Manager and others to their site camp.

Feature Image caption: John Godfrey Daniels, GRDM Executive Manager for Roads Services, answered several questions from WCG Minister Tertuis Simmers (right), and George Executive Mayor, Ald. Leon van Wyk (middle). With them is Ald. Memory Booysen, who expressed his satisfaction with the progress of the project.

Afrikaanse Opsomming: Opdatering twee (2): Gwaingweg (DR1618) Rehabiltasieprojek op skedule

Die Gwaingweg (DR1618)-rehabilitasieprojek, met ‘n begroting van R67 miljoen, vorder goed en sal na verwagting teen Junie 2024 voltooi wees. Die projek word deur die Wes-Kaapse Regering (WKR) befonds en deur die Tuinroete Distriksmunisipaliteit bestuur (TDM) – die TDM voer die Paaie-funksie namens die WKR uit. ‘n Terrein-inspeksiebesoek is onlangs deur staatsamptenare, insluitend die WKR Minister van Infrastruktuur Tertuis Simmers en die TDM se Uitvoerende Burgemeester, Raadsheer Memory Booysen gedoen, wat hul tevredenheid met die vordering uitgespreek het.

Die projek het ‘n span van 70 werkers in diens, van wie 44 deel vorm van die Uitgebreide Openbare Werke Program (UOWP/EPWP). Tydens die besoek het Simmers met die UOWP/EPWP werkers gesels om hul behoeftes te verstaan en het ook die belangrikheid bespreek om hulle op te lei vir toekomstige werksgeleenthede. Die projek behels die oprigting van nuwe heinings, die bou van die padbed, die opgradering van die stormwaternetwerk, en die implementering van 27 pypkruisings met betonkopmure vir effektiewe stormwaterbestuur.

Die pad sal ‘n 6,8m bitumineuse oppervlakwydte hê, geskik vir kommersiële landbouvervoer. Die padlae sal sement- en bitumenmengsels insluit om strukturele sterkte te verseker. Addisioneel, sal beton-gevoerde dreine in spesifieke afdelings geïmplementeer word om dreineringsdoeltreffendheid te verbeter en negatiewe waterverwante kwessies te voorkom.

Tydens sy toespraak het Simmers die suksesvolle voltooiing van ander projekte in die Wes-Kaap, met ‘n totale waarde van nagenoeg R500 miljoen, wat voor hul voltooing skedule klaar was, uitgewys. Hy het die WKR se verbintenis tot die bereiking en oorskryding van EPWP-teikens asook die bevordering en opleiding van werkers beklemtoon.

Upapasho lwesaziso: uhlaziyo lobuyiselo lwesigcwangciso sendlela: iGwaing Road (DR1618)

Ukulungiswa kwendlela exabiso libalelwa kwi-R67 yezigidi zeerandi eGwaing Road (DR1618) kuqhubeka kakuhle kwaye kulindeleke iqukunjelwe kwinyanga yeSilimela ka-2024. Uhlahlo lwabiwo-mali lwale nqubo/projekthi lwabelwa nguRhulumente weNtshona Koloni (WCG). UMasipala weSithili seGarden Route (i-GRDM) uyaqhubeka nomsebenzi wakhe njenge-Arhente yeeNdlela karhulumente weNtshona Kaloni kwaye uhlala ezinikele ekunikezeleni ngeeprojekthi zeziseko zophuhliso zengingqi ezibalulekileyo njengoko kucwangcisiwe.

Utyelelo lokuhlolwa komsebenzi lwenziwe namhlanje, ngomhla we-15 kuCanzibe 2023 nguMphathiswa weZiseko zoPhuhliso kwiPhondo leNtshona Koloni, u-Tertuis Simmers kunye noSodolophu wesiGqeba sikaMasipala weSithili seGarden Route, u-Alderman Memory Booysen, uSodolophu weSigqeba sikaMasipala wengingqi yaseGeorge uCllr Leon van Wyk nabanye abameli abasuka kuRhulumente wePhondo nooRhulumente beKhaya. Iziphumo zibe zincomeka kubasebenzi beNkqubo eYandisiweyo yeMisebenzi yoLuntu (EPWP) kunye noomasipala besebenzela kwiinjongo ezifanayo zokugqibezela indlela ekumgangatho wehlabathi ngokocwancwiso.

Ngokusho kukaJohn Daniels, uMphathi oLawulayo kwiiNkonzo zeNdlela kuMasipala weSithili seGarden Route, “iqela labasebenzi abangama-70 basebenza kule projekthi, abangama-44 kubo baqeshwe phantsi kweEPWP”. Umnumzana uSimmers uthathe ixesha ethetha nabasebenzi be-EPWP nokuva ukuba zithini na iimfuno zabo. Emva koko ngethuba besenza utyelelo kumsebenzi osowenziye umnumzana Simmers ememane echazelwa ngenkqubela phambili ngenkqubo-DR1618 nguChesney Roelf, iGcisa lobuNjineli obuPhezulu kuMasipala weSithili seGarden Route .
Umnumzana uSimmers uqhayise malunga neeprojekthi ezibalelwa kwimali ephantse ibeyi-R500 yezigidi zeerandi ezigqitywe kwiPhondo leNtshona Koloni phambi kwexesha ebelibekiwe, enye yazo iza kunikezelwa ngokusesikweni kwinyanga yeNtlaba ize enye inikezelwe ekupheleni kwenyanga yeNkanga kulonyaka imiyo ka2023. “Urhulumente wePhondo leNtshona Koloni ugqithisele kujoliso olulinganayo lwe-EPWP kunye nezicwangciso zokuqhubela phambili kubasebenzi be-EPWP ukubaxhobisa ngezakhono ukuya phambili,” utshilo uSimmers.

UChesney Roelf, ngethuba lotyelelo, uthe: “Ukuza kuthi ga ngoku, sigxile ekufakeni ucingo olutsha ecaleni kwendawo esisebenza kuzo kwaye sixakeke ngumsebenzi wokuqala kwezine zomaleko wendlela. I-GRDM ikwakha amandlalo wendlela, kunye nokuphucula uthungelwano kumanzi esiphango. Uthungelwano. Indlela iya kuba yi-6,8m ububanzi bebhituminosi umphezulu, ilungele uthutho loshishino lwezolimo.” USimmers ibhekiselele kwimpembelelo yothutho lwezoLimo lwezorhwebo kwiindlela ezinjalo kwaye kwaqinisekiswa nguDaniels ukuba iileya zendlela ziya kubandakanya imixube yesamente kunye nebhitumene eguquguqukayo ukunika amandla esakhiwo.

U-Roelf uphinde wachaza ukuba i-GRDM ifakela i-27 yemibhobho inqumlayo kunye neendonga zekhonkrithi ukuqinisekisa ulawulo olusebenzayo lwamanzi emvula. Oku bekuphendula uSodolophu oLawulayo kuMasipala waseGeorge, uLeon van Wyk, esalatha ukubaluleka kolawulo olululo lwamanzi emvula. I-GRDM iya kuphucula imijelo yokukhupha amanzi emvula. “Kumacandelo athile eprojekthi, imibhobho yokuhambisa amanzi ekhonkrithi iya kuphunyezwa ukuze kuphuculwe ukusebenza kakuhle kwamanzi nokuthintela imiba enxulumene namanzi,” utshilo uRoelf.

Urhulumente wePhondo leNtsona Koloni ebambisene noMasipala weSithili seGarden Route sibulela ngokungazenzisiyo umonde nokuqonda koluntu njengoko sisebenza ngenkuthalo ekuphuculeni iziseko zendlela.