The upgrade of Old North Coast Road, in Durban North, Ward 110 is progressing well.

RESIDENTS from Durban North, Ward 110 have welcomed the construction of Old North Coast Road. The project started in May last year and is expected to be completed in September 2025. The project aims to improve road networks and ease traffic congestion in the area.

The project has also created many job opportunities which has been welcomed by the community and local businesses. According to Project Engineer Sihle Myeza, the project is progressing well despite minor challenges. “The project consists of constructing reinforced concrete retaining walls with parapets on the left hand side and specialist lateral support retaining wall on the right hand side. Other work includes bulk earthworks, stormwater, culverts, layer works, service relocations, kerbing, building sidewalks and median islands, subsoils, gabions, guardrails, asphalting and reinstatement.

I oversee the monitoring and acceptance of the works, providing solutions to challenges that arise on site as well as scheduling site and technical meetings”, added Myeza. Residents from Ward 110 and other existing industrial developments within the ward will benefit from the project. The contract sum (including VAT) for the project is R181.9 million. Some of the challenges experienced in the project includes services (such as water, electricity, and telecommunications) being temporarily relocated for the retaining walls and earthworks to continue.

These services will be permanently relocated. Another issue was the unstable embankments that collapsed while cutting for the retaining wall. This posed a risk. To deal with this issue, a geotechnical assessment was done on the embankments. A geotechnical report from a geotechnical engineer was produced proposing that a specialist lateral support retaining wall be constructed to ensure the embankments are stable.