PROPOSED REHABILITATION OF NATIONAL ROUTE R61 … Route R61 Section 7 from... · PROPOSED REHABILITATION OF NATIONAL ROUTE R61 ... widening the existing road cross section for climbing

BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT

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Draft Basic Assessment Report

PROPOSED REHABILITATION OF NATIONAL ROUTE R61 SECTION 7 FROM BAZIYA TO MTHATHA, EASTERN CAPE

DEA Reference: 14/12/16/3/1/705 NEAS Reference: DEA/EIA/0001465/2012

Prepared for:

Prepared by:

Coastal & Environmental Services EAST LONDON

2 Marine Terrace, Hampton Court East London, 5201

043 742 3302 Also in Grahamstown and Durban

www.cesnet.co.za

May 2013

http://www.cesnet.co.za/


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(For official use only)

File Reference Number:

Application Number:

Date Received:

Basic assessment report in terms of the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2010, promulgated in terms of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998), as amended.

Kindly note that: 1. This basic assessment report is a standard report that may be required by a competent authority

in terms of the EIA Regulations, 2010 and is meant to streamline applications. Please make sure that it is the report used by the particular competent authority for the activity that is being applied for.

2. This report format is current as of 1 September 2012. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ascertain whether subsequent versions of the form have been published or produced by the competent authority

3. The report must be typed within the spaces provided in the form. The size of the spaces provided is not necessarily indicative of the amount of information to be provided. The report is in the form of a table that can extend itself as each space is filled with typing.

4. Where applicable tick the boxes that are applicable in the report.

5. An incomplete report may be returned to the applicant for revision.

6. The use of “not applicable” in the report must be done with circumspection because if it is used in respect of material information that is required by the competent authority for assessing the application, it may result in the rejection of the application as provided for in the regulations.

7. This report must be handed in at offices of the relevant competent authority as determined by each authority.

8. No faxed or e-mailed reports will be accepted.

9. The signature of the EAP on the report must be an original signature.

10. The report must be compiled by an independent environmental assessment practitioner.

11. Unless protected by law, all information in the report will become public information on receipt by the competent authority. Any interested and affected party should be provided with the information contained in this report on request, during any stage of the application process.

12. A competent authority may require that for specified types of activities in defined situations only parts of this report need to be completed.

13. Should a specialist report or report on a specialised process be submitted at any stage for any part of this application, the terms of reference for such report must also be submitted.


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14. Two (2) colour hard copies and one (1) electronic copy of the report must be submitted to the competent authority.

15. Shape files (.shp) for maps must be included on the electronic copy of the report submitted to the competent authority.


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SECTION A: ACTIVITY INFORMATION

Has a specialist been consulted to assist with the completion of this section? YES NO

If YES, please complete the form entitled “Details of specialist and declaration of interest” for the specialist appointed and attach in Appendix I. 1. PROJECT DESCRIPTION a) Describe the project associated with the listed activities applied for

1. Introduction The South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) is proposing to upgrade a 34km section of the National Road (R61) between Baziya and Mthatha in the Eastern Cape Province (Figure 1.1). Gibb has been appointed by SANRAL as the project managers who subcontracted Coastal & Environmental Services (CES) as the Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP).

Figure 1.1. Location of the proposed upgrade of the R61 between Baziya and Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. The darkened red line indicates the affected road. The proposed activity includes widening the existing road cross section for climbing lanes and reconstructing the road to provide the requisite level of service both in terms of geometrics and pavement structure, and reinforcing the existing pavement. At some section, the road changes from single- to dual-carriageway and the road reserve will be widened from 32m to 50m wide in this section but this should not intrude into private-owned land at any point. A number of other “river crossing bridges” and drainage structures will also be reconstructed, widened and rehabilitated. In addition to the EIA process, a water use license application will be undertaken in accordance to the requirements of the National Water Act of 1998 (Act No. 36 of 1998) regulated by the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) for the reconstruction of one bridge along the road section.


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A mining license application will also be submitted for 3 x quarry sites in accordance with the regulations pertaining to the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act (Act No.28 of 2002) regulated by the Department of Mineral Resources. 2. Activities associated with the proposed project The following activities are all associated with the upgrade of the R61 between Baziya and Mthatha. 2.1 Bridge/Large culvert upgrades: Authorisation from the Department of Water Affairs is being applied for the following bridge/large culvert upgrades by CES:

Structure 1: Stream Crossing 1

GPS Co-ordinatess: S 31°36.927' E 28°24.614'

Distance from start: 4.88km (km12)

Proposed works: Upgrade to 1 x 900mm ø concrete pipe culvert and rebuild inlet and outlet headwalls as required

Downstream view: Upstream view:

Culvert structure:


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Structure 2: Sigubudwini River Crossing

GPS Co-ordinatess: S 31° 36.994' E 28° 28.013'

Distance from start: 4.9km (km 16.9)

Proposed works: Repair and / or extend concrete pipes and rebuild inlet and / or outlet headwalls as required.


Culvert structure:


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Proposed works: Reconstruct to 2 3000 x 3000 mm concrete box culverts.


Culvert structure:


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Structure 4: Tabase River Crossing



Proposed Works: No hydraulic improvements required.


Culvert structure:


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Distance from start: 10.6 km (km 22.6)

Proposed Works: Reconstruct to class 2 - 3300 X 3000mm concrete box culvert.


Culvert structure:


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Structure 6: Tabase River Crossing 2



Proposed Works: Reconstruct to class 2 - 2 x 4500 x 3600mm concrete box culvert.


Bridge structure:


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Proposed Works: Reconstruct to class 2 - 2 x 3000 x 3000mm concrete box culvert





Proposed Works: No Hydraulic improvement required



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Proposed Works: No hydraulic improvement required




Distance from start: 23.0 km (km 35)

Proposed Works: No hydraulic improvement required



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Proposed Works: Repair and / or extend concrete pipes and rebuild inlet and / or outlet headwalls as required.


Structure 12: Cica River Crossing



Proposed Works: No hydraulic improvements required



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Proposed Works: Reconstruct to class 2 - 4000 x 3000mm concrete box culvert


2.2. Road upgrade & widening The proposed activity includes widening the existing road cross-section for climbing lanes and reconstructing the road between Baziya (31o 36’53.39”S; 28o 25’2.26”E) and the turnoff to Mthatha airport (31o 33’24.37”S; 28o 25’13.24E) to provide the requisite level of service both in terms of geometrics and pavement structure, and reinforcing the existing pavement.

Figure 2.1. Showing a typical cross-section design for a single carriage way and auxiliary lane. (Source:

Gibb).


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At the Mthatha airport turnoff (31o 33’24.37”S; 28o 25’13.24E), the road changes from single- to dual-carriageway and the road reserve will be widened from 32m to 50m wide but will not intrude into private-owned land at any point.

Figure 2.2. Showing a typical cross-section design for a double carriage way. (Source: Gibb). 2.3. New access roads Various new access roads are proposed to connect existing streets & roads to the R61. This is done to ensure safer access points as well as to reduce the amount of access points to the R61. Existing access roads will also be upgraded to SANRAL design standards (See maps in Appendix A for details) in the villages/suburbs of:

Hairfield

Efata

Chris Hani

Mandela Park

Fort Gale


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Mthatha Below is a table showing all new proposed access routes & roads along the R61 section requiring an environmental authorisation:

Access road 1

GPS: 31o 34’47.49”S; 28o 45’59.98”E

The existing access to the R61 will be closed & rehabilitated and a new access road will connect to the R61 at the new proposed roundabout. The now access road will traverse an existing wetland & will require an authorisation from the DWA.

Photo of the proposed new access road section showing thoe proposed new layout in red:


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Access road 2

GPS:31o 34’58.70”S; 28o 46’46.10”E

The existing access road will be upgraded through a delineated water course & will require an authorisation from the DWA.

Photo of the proposed access road upgrade (red dashed line) showing the affected water course (blue line):


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Access road 3

GPS: 31° 34.368'S; 28° 43.779'E

A new access road point will be constructed that will realign the N2 access road to the south with the Northern suburbs.

Photo of the proposed access road upgrade (red line):


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2.4. Roundabout intersections Various new roundabout intersections (traffic circles) are proposed along the R61 section. Illustrations and GPS coordinates are shown in the table below.

Roundabout structure 1

GPS: 31o 33’24.35”S; 28o 40’13.30”E


GPS:31o 33’37.48”S; 28o 41’18.66E


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GPS:31o 33’49.44”S; 28o 42’6.88”E


GPS:31o 34’ 18.90”S; 28o 43’29.81”E


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GPS:31o 34’22.12”S; 28o 43’46.75”E


GPS: 31o 34’23.61”S; 28o 44’36.43”E


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GPS:31o 34’23.94”E; 28o 45’4.59”E


GPS: 31o 34’48.11”S; 28o 45’49.78”E


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GPS: 31o 34’54.17”S; 28o 46’28.06”E


GPS: 31o 35’7.17”S; 28o 46’45.35”E


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GPS: 31o 35’17.45”S; 28o 46’56.72”E

2.5. Pedestrian Crossing As the R61 at this section will be upgraded to a double carriageway, the existing pedestrian bridge situated at the Efata school for the blind (GPS: 31o 34’13.34”S; 28o 43’7.23”E) will require an upgrade to fit the wider road.


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Plate 2.1. Photo of the existing pedestrian bridge at the Efata school for the blind.

Figure 2.3. Showing the proposed upgrade of the existing pedestrian crossing at the Efata school for the blind.

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PROPOSED REHABILITATION OF NATIONAL ROUTE R61 … Route R61 Section 7 from... · PROPOSED REHABILITATION OF NATIONAL ROUTE R61 ... widening the existing road cross section for climbing