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CONSTRUCTION WORLD
JUNE
2016
ROADS AND BRIDGES
engineer on how to move forward with
the project.
Basil Read provides the Client with
alternatives such as providing a concrete
(rigid) alternative to the proposed bitumen
pavement (flexible).
Unfortunately road construction (and
infrastructure in general) is generally based
on current economic imperatives: our forecast
is about four to five years. Some clients (such
as concessionaires and certain roads agen-
cies) can take a long term view and invest in
concrete roads – these last longer, but are
initially more expensive.
The St Helena Airport runway is a
concrete runway – there the imperatives were
different: not based solely on initial infra-
structure cost, but how to maintain a runway
over the long term in a very remote location.
What is the division’s unique
selling point Price? Technology?
Our ability to offer alternatives to the design
that we are presented with, is a unique selling
point. Price can be a unique selling point in
a competitive market, but in the long run,
clients then allow contractors to build inferior
products because they use the cheapest price
as a unique selling point.
On a building, inferior construction can
be spotted early on. It is very hard to build a
road that fails within six months – some of
our international clients and roads agencies
are learning this the hard way: the saving they
initially regarded as beneficial often results in
an inferior product.
Our diverse team is another unique
selling point. We have the expertise within
the company to try and find a solution. This is
the direction the Division is moving towards
– solutions driven – where construction
and engineering move closer together and
one does not simply provide a client with
a product that they decided upon as their
solution very early in the process and without
input from the contractor on constructability
and cost efficiency issues.
What is your opinion of
the current status quo of
construction?
It is a concern that the rollout of infra-
structure projects is not happening faster
throughout southern Africa. Infrastructure
provision is one of the ways to stimulate
an economy. Added to that is the fact that
wealth in the broader African context cannot
be created when there is a lack of reliable
transportation links – it is a continent with
tremendous wealth, but these resources are
landlocked and can often not be transported
to a port.
It is a tough time in the construction
industry – we are, hopefully, at the end of a
long negative cycle. There is opportunity in
this though – it allows Basil Read to refor-
A recently completed project is the
rehabilitation of Bruma Lake – Basil Read Roads
Division is currently doing load testing of the
reconstructed bridge.
Project: Upgrade of National
Route 61 section 7 from Baziya
to Mthatha
• Client: SANRAL
• Duration: 36 months
• Value: R504 103 892
• Scope: Widening to a 13,4 m surfaced
width, additional auxiliary lanes, 14
major culverts, etc.
Project: Marine works for the
Admin Craft Basin at the Port
of Ngqura
• Client: Transnet Capital Projects
• Duration: 20 months
• Value: R376 158 453
• Scope: Preparation of Eastern
Reclamation Site to receive land based
excavated material, excavation and
dredging of approximately 656 00 0m³
of material.
Current major projects
Project: Ashton to Montagu
road (13,4 kms) in the Western
Cape
• Client: Western Cape Government:
Department of Transport and Public
Works
• Duration: 36 months
• Value: R583-million
• Scope: Rehabilitation of TR 31
from Ashton to Montagu through
Cogmanskloof, the reconstruction and
widening of the existing pavement
layers, three of the existing river
bridges are to be replaced with new
structures, the stormwater systems are
to be upgraded, retaining walls on both
the mountain and river side of the road
will have to be installed.
mulate the way we do business and to start
working closer to the client instead of being
reactive and relying on work to come our
way: the St Helena Airport project is an
example of this – we actively ‘created’ work
on a design and construct basis. Through
projects undertaken within our Developments
Division we have a model to create work
across the company.
Locally South Africa has an immense
need for housing, sanitation and water
supply. Housing is one sector that will
develop work for the company as a whole and
which we are very excited about.
Project: Polokwane Eastern
Ring Road Phase II
• Client: SANRAL
• Duration: 36 months
• Value: R641-million
• Scope: Re-Alignment of the N1-27
towards the south of Polokwane
over 4,2 km, development and
widening of the N1-27 ring road as
a four lane divided dual carriageway
over 19 km, and construction of six
new bridges.
Project: National Route 1
section 29: Construction of
the Musina Ring Road
• Client: SANRAL
• Duration: 30 months
• Value: R556-million
• Scope: Construction of a 4 lane dual
carriageway Greenfields bypass of
approximately 8 km, Construction
of the Musina interchange and
Freedom Street overpass and
Nancefield (R572) Interchange,
Construction of Toynton Road and
the Mac Transco railway line road-
over-rail-bridge, re-alignment and
construction of Harper road.