Recently, the eThekwini Municipality received an award and commendation for two projects at the annual South African Institute of Civil Engineers(SAICE) Awards gala event for Most Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievements for 2016/2017.

SAICE received almost 60 project entries from across the country to compete for these prestigious awards. It included awards for international and technical excellence, as well as community-based projects.

On the back of receiving the highly recommended regional award for technical excellence earlier this year, the eThekwini Municipality won the national “Herrenknecht Technical Excellence Award” for the M25- C9 Underpass, which links KwaMashu to Phoenix Industrial at the start of the GO!Durban bus rapid transit (BRT) C9 route to Umhlanga Ridge.

In its citation SAICE said: “The underpass has been designed to provide passage for both dedicated busways and ordinary traffic, to eliminate the need for a second route across the M25 at another location. The project is also of significant architectural value and substantially improves the aesthetic appearance of the surrounding environment. The interchange provides an essential connection between a cluster of new Bridge City developments and the Phoenix Industrial area, while threading an entirely new transport system through the city’s existing infrastructure.”

Another section of the GO!Durban C3 route (KwaMashu to Pinetown), the provincial Main Road 577 through KwaDabeka Valley, a joint project between SANRAL and the eThekwini Municipality, was given a commendation at the ceremony.

SAICE’s citation said: “The project consisted of the construction of drainage, earthworks, a reinforced soil retaining structure and rock-fall protection on Main Road (MR) 577, which was developed as a link between residential areas to the north of the uMngeni River and economic opportunities to the south. The intricacy of the original design required expert engineering judgement, integrating the geometric requirements of a four-lane arterial road into complex and challenging terrain. The final section up the KwaDabeka Valley displays both the art and science of civil engineering and is easily seen and appreciated by anyone who travels the road. The MR 577 reduces the travel distance for commuters between KwaMashu and Pinetown by 12 kilometres and provides a vital regional additional crossing of the uMngeni River.”

The integrated public transport network will eventually link Durban through eight dedicated bus lanes and a rail route.