Skip to main content

Re-gravelling roads in South Africa

Consultant Mott MacDonald is providing assistance for an important project for the re-gravelling of roads in South Africa’s Western Cape. The firm is helping the Western Cape Government with planning, design and control aspects of the maintenance of gravel roads within the Overberg region, one of four regions in the province. The consultancy is also working with local provincial maintenance teams and supporting the development, improvement and management of materials supply. There are around 10,000km of
August 20, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
Repairing rural roads in South Africa will improve access to the Western Cape
Consultant 2579 Mott MacDonald is providing assistance for an important project for the re-gravelling of roads in South Africa’s Western Cape. The firm is helping the Western Cape Government with planning, design and control aspects of the maintenance of gravel roads within the Overberg region, one of four regions in the province. The consultancy is also working with local provincial maintenance teams and supporting the development, improvement and management of materials supply.

There are about 10,000km of gravel roads within the Western Cape (excluding minor roads), of which approximately 1,300km are located within the Overberg region. These rural roads are susceptible to changes in traffic volumes, material properties, precipitation, temperature and even flooding, which can lead to increased deterioration. Regular maintenance activities include re-gravelling or spot re-gravelling, reworking, hard or regular blading, patching, and pothole and shoulder repairs. Suitable material sources available, such as shale, mudstone, sandstone, limestone, granite or ferricrete, need to be sourced sustainably and where possible aggregate will be obtained locally through borrow pits.

Mott MacDonald has previously supported re-gravelling and maintenance strategies in the Western Cape Province. The consultancy is using this experience to develop strategic planning and optimisation models for the sourcing and use of suitable materials from borrow pits. The condition of gravel roads will undergo detailed visual assessments and combined with annual panel inspections will contribute to an overall view of the management of the road network. 

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Digital transformation is delivering digital adoption
    August 15, 2023
    Digital transformation is key for transportation agencies and their partners to do their jobs better and faster. One way to do this is through digital delivery using digital models, data, and supporting field tools for roadway design, structures design, and construction, say the tech experts at Bentley Systems.
  • Kenya develops annuity road funding model
    May 8, 2015
    Kenya is introducing novel methods for funding its necessary road infrastructure development - Shem Oirere writes. Kenya has unveiled a new financing model for road construction and reviewed its design standards and construction methodologies, which forms part of a new strategy for the East African country. Under this new plan Kenya is planning to upgrade 10,000km of road, with these links featuring asphalt surfacing; the work being carried out over the next five years at a cost of US$2.8 billion. Despite t
  • Material feeder boosts paving job in South Africa
    December 14, 2017
    The use of a material feeder in a road paving job in South Africa has helped increase productivity and quality on the project. The contractor employed a Vögele MT 3000-2 Offset PowerFeeder to help optimise pavement quality, with the positive paving results having been confirmed by the University of Twente, Netherlands. This body monitored the project from a scientific perspective and its equipment included RoadScan, the innovative temperature-measurement system from Vögele. Using a material feeder can
  • Four more Jetpatcher units for Mexico
    September 13, 2023
    The Jetpatcher kits include all the proprietary control systems as well as the company’s Spreader Box attachment for localised sheet patching applications.