Construction World January 2023

Left: General aerial view of the two tower cranes on site. Right: Preparation for the deck segments.

been appointed as sub-contractors and suppliers. “The work allocated to them ranges from the fairly simple and straightforward, thatching for example, to quite major tasks,” Savage observes. “Some are supplying and operating ‘yellow metal’ and run fleets that include 30 ton excavators and 10 m3 trucks while others run steel-fixing teams, supply and operate batch plants or undertake road rehabilitation. We assist them with training and we also ensure they work safely.” Summing up the Msikaba Project, Savage says that the final product will be a world class bridge showcasing the abilities of Concor and its JV partner MECSA. “We are proud to be part of this landmark project, which is uplifting local communities and which is also expected to have a substantial effect on economic growth in the Eastern Cape and KZN,” he concludes. 

are concrete structures bridging tributaries of the Msikaba River. They are all structurally complete with only some earthworks outstanding. While construction of Msikaba from a technical point of view is demanding, in some ways the managing of relationships with surrounding communities is equally so. “We have worked very hard – and at considerable cost – to ensure that the project has the full support of surrounding communities and that the benefits stemming from construction are localised to the greatest extent possible,” says Savage. Not only has the CME JV recruited about 70 % of its workforce locally – all of whom have been subjected to intensive on-site training – but it has also identified and supported a host of local SMMEs, around 40 in all, who have

33 CONSTRUCTION WORLD JANUARY 2023