BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT FOR THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENT OF THE N7, SECTION 2 BETWEEN ROOIDRAAI (KM 7.49) AND MOORREESBURG (KM 33.90) NATIONAL ROUTE 7, SECTION 2 Prepared for: South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd Authority Ref: 14/12/16/3/3/1/2082 SLR Project No: 720.10018.00003 Report No: 1 Revision No: 1 January 2020 South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd 720.10018.00003 Basic Assessment Report for the proposed improvement of the N7, Section 2 between Rooidraai January 2020 (km 7.49) and Moorreesburg (km 33.90) DOCUMENT INFORMATION Title Basic Assessment Report for the proposed improvement of the N7, Section 2 between Rooidraai (km 7.49) and Moorreesburg (km 33.90) Project Manager Conroy van der Riet Project Manager e-mail [email protected] Author Conroy van der Riet Reviewer Fuad Fredericks Keywords SANRAL, N7, Road Improvement, Basic Assessment Status Final Authority Reference No 14/12/16/3/3/1/2082 SLR Project No 720.10018.00003 Report No 1 DOCUMENT REVISION RECORD Rev No. Issue Date Description Issued By 0 18 October Draft issued for I&AP Review CvdR 2019 1 January 2020 Final submitted for decision-making CvdR BASIS OF REPORT This document has been prepared by an SLR Group company with reasonable skill, care and diligence, and taking account of the manpower, timescales and resources devoted to it by agreement with the South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd (the Client) as part or all of the services it has been appointed by the Client to carry out. It is subject to the terms and conditions of that appointment. SLR shall not be liable for the use of or reliance on any information, advice, recommendations and opinions in this document for any purpose by any person other than the Client. Reliance may be granted to a third party only in the event that SLR and the third party have executed a reliance agreement or collateral warranty. Information reported herein may be based on the interpretation of public domain data collected by SLR, and/or information supplied by the Client and/or its other advisors and associates. These data have been accepted in good faith as being accurate and valid. SLR disclaims any responsibility to the Client and others in respect of any matters outside the agreed scope of the work. The copyright and intellectual property in all drawings, reports, specifications, bills of quantities, calculations and other information set out in this report remain vested in SLR unless the terms of appointment state otherwise. This document may contain information of a specialised and/or highly technical nature and the Client is advised to seek clarification on any elements which may be unclear to it. Information, advice, recommendations and opinions in this document should only be relied upon in the context of the whole document and any documents referenced explicitly herein and should then only be used within the context of the appointment. i South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd 720.10018.00003 Basic Assessment Report for the proposed improvement of the N7, Section 2 between Rooidraai January 2020 (km 7.49) and Moorreesburg (km 33.90) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) is proposing to improve 26.41 km of the National Route 7 (N7), Section 2 between Rooidraai (km 7.49) and Moorreesburg (km 33.90) located within the Swartland Local Municipality, Western Cape (see Figure 1). OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT The proposed project mainly entails the provision of additional climbing / passing lanes and widening the road and associated infrastructure in certain areas. The existing carriageway would be widened to the following cross-sections: • Where no climbing lanes are provided: two 3.7 m-wide lanes and two 3.5 m-wide shoulders; • Where a climbing lane is provided on one side only: a 1.5 m-wide shoulder (1.0 m surfaced) with 3.5m-wide slow lane and 3.7 m-wide fast lane. The side without the climbing lane would have a 3.7 m-wide lane and a 3.5 m-wide shoulder (3.0 m surfaced); and • In instances where climbing lanes are provided on both sides: each side would have a 1.5 m-wide shoulder (1.0 m surfaced) with a 3.5 m-wide slow lane and a 3.7 m-wide fast lane. Four bridge structures and six major culverts would need widening along the route, and accesses which do not meet the SANRAL standards for sight distance will be further investigated during the final engineering design stage in order to determine how the sight distance could be improved. Ancillary works mainly include the following: • Installation of concrete-lined side drains with subsoil drains; • Replacement of minor culverts; and • Resurfacing of intersections with provincial roads and major farm accesses. JG Afrika (Pty) Ltd was appointed by SANRAL (under Contract No. NRA N.007-020-2020/1F) to provide Consulting Engineering Services. SLR Consulting (South Africa) Pty Ltd (SLR) in turn, was appointed by JG Afrika (Pty) Ltd to complete the Basic Assessment process as part of an Application for Environmental Authorisation in terms of Chapter 5 of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (No. 107 of 1998) (NEMA), as amended. This final Basic Assessment Report (BAR) provides a description of the proposed project, the affected environment and the BA process followed, and an assessment of the identified potential impacts on the environment. The compilation of this report has, where applicable, been informed by comments received from interested and affected parties (I&APs) and authorities during the pre-application notification period and on the draft BAR. It should be noted that all significant changes to the draft report are underlined and in a different font (Times New Roman) to the rest of the text. This report is submitted to the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) for consideration as part of an application for Environmental Authorisation in terms NEMA. ii South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd 720.10018.00003 Basic Assessment Report for the proposed improvement of the N7, Section 2 between Rooidraai (km 7.49) and Moorreesburg (km 33.90) January 2020 FIGURE 1: LOCATION OF THE N7, SECTION 2 BETWEEN ROOIDRAAI AND MOORREESBURG iii South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd 720.10018.00003 Basic Assessment Report for the proposed improvement of the N7, Section 2 between Rooidraai January 2020 (km 7.49) and Moorreesburg (km 33.90) NEED AND DESIRABILITY The road forms part of the national road network of South Africa and carries regional and national traffic. The relevant section of road carries approximately 5 218 vehicles per day (both directions), of which 21% are heavy vehicles. A Stage 1 (Feasibility/Preliminary Design Stage) Road Safety Audit highlighted some concerns related to this section. As a result of the increased traffic and the findings of the Road Safety Audit, Section 2 of the N7 needs to be improved in order to conform to the Geometric Design (G2) Standards. SUMMARY OF AUTHORISATION REQUIREMENTS The proposed project triggers the need for a BA process to be undertaken in order for the DEFF to consider granting or refusing Environmental Authorisation. Registration of water uses in terms of the National Water Act, 1998 (No. 36 of 1998; NWA) is also required where the proposed works cross drainage lines, and if water supply is required from a water resource (other than a municipal supply). Section 38 of the National Heritage Resources Act, 1999 (NHRA) requires a Notice of Intent to Develop (NID) to be submitted to Heritage Western Cape (HWC). AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT Land Use and Character of the Surrounding Area The terrain is relatively flat in relation to the hills and deeper valleys of the areas that lie to the west and east of the road. Much of the area has been transformed for many decades by agricultural development and by the N7 road itself. As a result, most of the natural vegetation cover and aquatic features have been significantly modified. The nearest urban areas are the towns of Malmesbury, located close to the start point in the south, and Moorreesburg, at the end point in the north. Climate Generally, the area has a Mediterranean climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 305 mm and an average temperature of 18.6°C. The summer months typically have lower rainfall, higher temperatures and higher evaporation. During winter the area experiences high rainfall and lower temperatures with subsequent lower evaporation. Topography The terrain along this section of road can be defined as flat and occasionally broken up by hills with grades varying between 1.5% and 4%. The elevation of the study area varies between 123 m and 293 m above mean sea level. iv South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd 720.10018.00003 Basic Assessment Report for the proposed improvement of the N7, Section 2 between Rooidraai January 2020 (km 7.49) and Moorreesburg (km 33.90) Geology and Geohydrology The geology of the broader study area is dominated by granite of the Paardeberg Pluton, Cape Granite Suite, greywacke and phyllite of the Moorreesburg Formation, Malmesbury Group and occasional diorite and gabbro of the Yzerfontein Suite. Boreholes within the study area potentially yield between 0.6 – 0.8 litres/second with a maximum volume of 15 000 – 25 000 m3/km2/annum being abstracted while preserving sustained abstraction within the aquifer system. Freshwater Ecosystems The study area is located within the G21D, G10J and G10L quaternary catchments, but primarily G10L. These catchments are drained by the Diep River, as well as the Moorreesburgspruit and Sout River (tributaries of the Berg River) respectively.