The South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) has awarded a new contract to complete the long‑delayed doubling of the Gwaing River Bridge on the N2 near George, with construction now scheduled to begin in mid‑October 2026 and finish in mid‑January 2028 — exactly ten years after the project first started.
Project restart after failed contractors and repeated tenders
Work first began in January 2018 but was interrupted when the two original contractors — KPMM Roads & Earthworks and Mamlambo Construction — encountered financial difficulties and both filed for voluntary liquidation before completing their contracts. Subsequent attempts by SANRAL to procure replacement contractors also proved unsuccessful, prompting the agency to advertise a third tender for the bridge‑doubling project.
SANRAL has now awarded the contract to Power Construction (Pty) Ltd. The contract value is reported as R170 million, excluding VAT and the Constructional Profits Allowance (CPA). SANRAL says the project will take just over 15 months to complete once construction starts, after a three‑month mobilisation period.
“Despite all the delays encountered, SANRAL is committed to completing this project,”
The agency’s Provincial Head for the Western Cape, Randall Cable, told local media the works include building a new 180‑metre second bridge, repairing and refurbishing the existing bridge and dualling about 2.2 kilometres of the N2. Minor widening and resurfacing of the existing carriageway are also part of the scope.
Timelines and immediate next steps
SANRAL said the mobilisation period runs from July to October 2026. During this time Power Construction is expected to establish resources on site, engage with stakeholders and affected communities, and finalise plans to meet SANRAL’s transformation and statutory requirements before major works begin.
The revised delivery date — mid‑January 2028 — supersedes earlier schedules. An initial completion target had been set for July 2020, which was not met because of the contractor failures and procurement delays.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| First works started | January 2018 |
| Contract value (new) | R170 million (excl. VAT and CPA) |
| New bridge length | 180 m |
| Dualling length | About 2.2 km |
| Mobilisation | July–October 2026 |
| Construction start | Mid‑October 2026 (planned) |
| Expected completion | Mid‑January 2028 |
Local implications and unresolved questions
For road users on the Garden Route, completion of the dualling and the new bridge should improve capacity and resilience on a busy section of the N2 that connects George to neighbouring towns and tourist destinations. SANRAL’s statement, however, does not include detailed traffic management plans, estimated daily traffic volumes, or specific measures to limit disruption during construction — information communities and road users will likely request as work progresses.
Procurement and contract performance have been central to the delay. SANRAL’s repeated tendering and the insolvency of two earlier contractors underline the challenges facing infrastructure delivery in the province, particularly for projects combining civil engineering complexity with tight budgets and transformation requirements.
- Contract awarded to Power Construction (Pty) Ltd for R170 million (excl. VAT and CPA).
- Mobilisation July–October 2026; construction to begin mid‑October 2026.
- Project scope: new 180m bridge, refurbishment of existing bridge, dualling of 2.2km of N2.
SANRAL has said mobilisation work is already under way and will include stakeholder engagement and planning to ensure contractual and statutory obligations are met. Local residents, commuters and businesses will be watching for traffic diversion details and exact construction staging once Power Construction publishes its programme and SANRAL releases further operational information.
The renewed commitment to finish the Gwaing River Bridge comes amid broader public scrutiny of infrastructure delivery in the Western Cape. How SANRAL and its contractor manage the next phases — including community engagement, site safety and minimising travel disruption — will determine whether the decade‑long saga ends on schedule in early 2028.
