As the province continue to observe Transport Month, The Eastern Cape Provincial Government further realises the province's vision to have safer connecting roads.
Premier Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane officially handed over to the contractor - WBHO - the Breidbach and Belstone Interchanges project, along the N2 near Bhisho and Qonce, where construction is expected to commence in earnest.
Today, we are initiating another R430 million road infrastructure project for the community of Buffalo City with our progressive SOE Sanral, which will facilitate the movement of goods and our people. This project is part of the R16.8 billion that SANRAL has budget for road infrastructure projects in our province, to reverse the apartheid legacy of infrastructure disinvestment and to set out province on a path for growth and economic recovery” Premier said.
According to the Premier, apartheid shattered Eastern Cape society, and its impact is felt on the main by the black population in communities such as Breidenbach, Zwelitsha, and Tshatshu Village that are neighbouring the site of this interchange.
The much anticipated infrastructure development project is expected to have a positive impact on the nearby communities of Breidbach, the provincial Capital of Bisho, the Qonce business district, as well as the sprawling township of Zwelitsha and surrounding communities. As mentioned in his previous State of the Province Address, that, 80 % of province s plans were heavily focused on physical infrastructure development and job creation.
The project we are unveiling here is not that just any road construction project, this is an interchange, a world class connection point for various road arteries. This project comes with great short-term benefits for this community of Buffalo City in that 200-300 work opportunities will be created and locals will also benefit from a community development project that will be facilitated by SANRAL to give our people and targeted emerging contractors lifetime . I want to emphasise that Infrastructure projects such as this one, must first and foremost benefit local people where they are implemented. That cancels a lot of disruptions for project implementation that we have seen in other parts of the province where communities fight over development” he mentioned
The long-term benefits of this interchange to Buffalo City Municipality are immense. It will ease traffic flow and improve logistics between eQonce and East London. It contributes towards the unprecedent infrastructure revitalisation in Buffalo City Metro in the ending term of local government which has changed the face of the Metro for the better.
