SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL ROADS AGENCY SOC LIMITED (SANRAL) STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT (SIP2) PROPOSED CAPACITY UPGRADES TO THE N2 & N3 BASIC ASSESSMENT 1 PROPOSED CAPACITY UPGRADES TO THE N2 (SOLOMON MAHLANGU INTERCHANGE (I/C) TO SOUTH OF UMGENI ROAD I/C), INCLUDING EXPANSION OF THE EB CLOETE AND SOLOMON MAHLANGU INTERCHANGES, AND THE N3 (EB CLOETE TO PARADISE VALLEY) INCLUDING PROVISION OF TEMPORARY ACCESS FOR CONSTRUCTION BELOW WESTVILLE AND PARADISE VALLEY VIADUCTS, ETHEKWINI METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY, KWAZULU-NATAL DRAFT BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT DEA REF NO: TO BE ASSIGNED DRAFT BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT FOR PUBLIC REVIEW SANRAL SOC LIMITED SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL ROADS AGENCY SOC LIMITED (SANRAL) STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT (SIP2) PROPOSED CAPACITY UPGRADES TO THE N2 & N3 BASIC ASSESSMENT 1 PROPOSED CAPACITY UPGRADES TO THE N2 (SOLOMON MAHLANGU INTERCHANGE (I/C) TO SOUTH OF UMGENI ROAD I/C), INCLUDING EXPANSION OF THE EB CLOETE AND SOLOMON MAHLANGU INTERCHANGES, AND THE N3 (EB CLOETE TO PARADISE VALLEY) INCLUDING PROVISION OF TEMPORARY ACCESS FOR CONSTRUCTION BELOW WESTVILLE AND PARADISE VALLEY VIADUCTS, ETHEKWINI METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY, KWAZULU-NATAL DRAFT BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT DEA REF NO: TO BE ASSIGNED Report prepared for: Report prepared by: SANRAL SOC LIMITED ACER (Africa) Environmental Consultants PO Box 100401 P O Box 503 Scottsville Mtunzini 3209 3867 September 2018 BASIC ASSESSMENT 1: PROPOSED CAPACITY UPGRADES TO THE N2 (SOLOMON MAHLANGU INTERCHANGE (I/C) TO SOUTH OF UMGENI ROAD I/C), INCLUDING EXPANSION OF THE EB CLOETE AND SOLOMON MAHLANGU INTERCHANGES, AND THE N3 (EB CLOETE TO PARADISE VALLEY) INCLUDING PROVISION OF TEMPORARY ACCESS FOR CONSTRUCTION BELOW WESTVILLE AND PARADISE VALLEY VIADUCTS II SANRAL SOC LIMITED DRAFT BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT FOR PUBLIC REVIEW This Draft BAR has been placed at the following public places in the project area. It will be available to members of the public from 11 October 2018 – 9 November 2018. Telephone Area Venue Street Address Number Mayville Cato Crest Library No. 1 Grammar Road, 031 261 1096 Mayville, 4091 Chesterville Chesterville Public Library 80 Mahlathi Road, 031 264 0945 Chesterville Zone 1 Hillary Hillary Public Library Shop No. 5, Hillary Centre, 031 464 4769 Stella Rd, Malvern, Durban, 4094 Malvern Malvern Public Library Rose Park, CNR Coronation 031 311 2520 Rd and Knightsway Rd, Malvern Westville Westville Civic Centre 1 William Leister Drive, 031 311 6591 Library Westville, 3613 YOUR COMMENTS PLEASE Please submit your comments by 9 November 2018 to: Mareike Straueli ► P O Box 503, Mtunzini, 3867 ► Tel: 035 340 2715 ► Fax: 035 340 2232 ► E-mail: [email protected] Please note that, in line with the EIA Regulations, all registered interested and affected parties are required to disclose any direct business, financial, personal or other interest which that party may have in the approval or refusal of the application. BASIC ASSESSMENT 1: PROPOSED CAPACITY UPGRADES TO THE N2 (SOLOMON MAHLANGU INTERCHANGE (I/C) TO SOUTH OF UMGENI RD I/C), INCLUDING EXPANSION OF THE EB CLOETE AND SOLOMON MAHLANGU INTERCHANGES, AND THE N3 (EB CLOETE TO PARADISE VALLEY) INCLUDING PROVISION OF TEMPORARY ACCESS FOR CONSTRUCTION BELOW WESTVILLE AND PARADISE VALLEY VIADUCTS III SANRAL SOC LIMITED EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION AND LEGAL REQUIREMENTS The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) intends to widen the N2 and N3 national roads between the Port of Durban and Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. The proposed project requires environmental authorisation from the National Department of Environmental Affairs. This report is a Basic Assessment Report (BAR) for a section of the proposed capacity improvements (extending up to Paradise Valley). The BAR has been prepared on behalf of SANRAL by ACER (Africa) Environmental Consultants (ACER), in terms of the requirements of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations of 2014 (as amended), published under the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998) (NEMA). The Basic Assessment process has included technical investigations and public participation in accordance with GN R. 326. This Draft BAR has been made available for public review and comment during the period 11 October to 9 November 2018. Further to the requirement for environmental authorisation, several other environmental laws, policies and guidelines are applicable to this project and are listed in Table 7 of this report. PROJECT NEED AND DESIRABILITY The N2 and N3 carry large volumes of traffic, with a high percentage of heavy vehicles carrying freight to and from the Port of Durban, forming the backbone of South Africa’s freight network. Sections of these national roads are operating at full capacity. Traffic studies commissioned by SANRAL have projected traffic growth figures and indicate the need to provide additional lanes to alleviate current traffic congestion, accommodate future growth and improve road safety and efficiency. SANRAL (Eastern Region), therefore, proposes to provide additional lanes along a section of the N2 near the Port of Durban and a section of the N3 from the N2/N3 (E.B Cloete) interchange to Pietermaritzburg. The proposed capacity improvements, which are divided into sections and covered ultimately by 17 engineering work packages, will be implemented at different stages according to timing priorities and factors related to funding availability (albeit the reality is that there will be overlapping construction periods between the 17 engineering work packages). The proposed capacity improvements will improve safety, increase mobility and accommodate traffic growth to 2047. Importantly, the upgrades are planned in line with South Africa’s Strategic Infrastructure Projects (SIPs) as described in the National Development Plan, 2011. Specifically, the proposed capacity improvements form the backbone of SIP2, which focuses on strengthening the Durban-Free State- Gauteng logistics and industrial corridor. In line with SIP2 goals, the capacity improvements will improve access to Durban’s export and import facilities. National roads are essential infrastructure supporting the economy of the country and, therefore, of benefit to all citizens of South Africa either directly or indirectly. As such, this project has been taken into account by, and is compatible with, national, provincial and municipal development and planning frameworks. PROJECT LOCATION AND MAIN COMPONENTS The sections of national roads dealt with in this Basic Assessment are located within the urban core of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal (see locality figures overleaf). Road sections to undergo widening are: N2 from Solomon Mahlangu Interchange (I/C) to south of the Umgeni Road I/C. N3 from the EB Cloete I/C to the Paradise Valley I/C. BASIC ASSESSMENT 1: PROPOSED CAPACITY UPGRADES TO THE N2 (SOLOMON MAHLANGU INTERCHANGE (I/C) TO SOUTH OF UMGENI RD I/C), INCLUDING EXPANSION OF THE EB CLOETE AND SOLOMON MAHLANGU INTERCHANGES, AND THE N3 (EB CLOETE TO PARADISE VALLEY) INCLUDING PROVISION OF TEMPORARY ACCESS FOR CONSTRUCTION BELOW WESTVILLE AND PARADISE VALLEY VIADUCTS IV SANRAL SOC LIMITED Figure 1 Location of proposed capacity improvements to the EB Cloete I/C (including portion of N2 north and N3 west) and to Solomon Mahlangu I/C (including portion of N2 to south of Umgeni Road I/C) BASIC ASSESSMENT 1: PROPOSED CAPACITY UPGRADES TO THE N2 (SOLOMON MAHLANGU INTERCHANGE (I/C) TO SOUTH OF UMGENI ROAD I/C), INCLUDING EXPANSION OF THE EB CLOETE AND SOLOMON MAHLANGU INTERCHANGES, AND THE N3 (EB CLOETE TO PARADISE VALLEY) INCLUDING PROVISION OF TEMPORARY ACCESS FOR CONSTRUCTION BELOW WESTVILLE AND PARADISE VALLEY VIADUCTS V SANRAL SOC LIMITED Figure 2 Location of proposed capacity improvements to the N3 from Westville Viaduct to Paradise Valley I/C including proposed access roads to Westville and Paradise Valley Viaducts BASIC ASSESSMENT 1: PROPOSED CAPACITY UPGRADES TO THE N2 (SOLOMON MAHLANGU INTERCHANGE (I/C) TO SOUTH OF UMGENI ROAD I/C), INCLUDING EXPANSION OF THE EB CLOETE AND SOLOMON MAHLANGU INTERCHANGES, AND THE N3 (EB CLOETE TO PARADISE VALLEY) INCLUDING PROVISION OF TEMPORARY ACCESS FOR CONSTRUCTION BELOW WESTVILLE AND PARADISE VALLEY VIADUCTS VI SANRAL SOC LIMITED Within these sections, the major interchanges to be upgraded are: Solomon Mahlangu (N2/M7). EB Cloete (N2/N3). Westville Spine Road (N3/St James/Harry Gwala). Paradise Valley (N3/M13). In addition, this project requires the construction of two temporary access roads to access the areas beneath the Westville and Paradise Valley Viaducts. These are the: Proposed Westville Viaduct access road (sited near the residential area of Chesterville on the south side of the N3). Proposed Paradise Valley Viaduct access road (sited within the Paradise Valley Nature Reserve). Two parallel sections of Transnet Fuel Pipeline, each approximately 500 m in length, will need to be realigned prior to roadworks commencing, to accommodate the capacity upgrades in the vicinity of the N2/M7 (Solomon Mahlangu – previously Edwin Swales) Interchange. Work on the three road contracts covered by this Basic Assessment (BA) are anticipated to commence towards the end of 2019/beginning of 2020. Relocation of services and construction of temporary viaduct access roads is currently planned to be undertaken prior to this. PROJECT ALTERNATIVES In line with the EIA Regulations, several alternatives have been considered for the proposed project. Given that this project entails