Harbour upgrade will aid tourism
The road at the recreation area of the harbour has been upgraded.
Also, there are 130 new single parking spaces and three new vehicle and trailer parking spaces between port entrance number 1 and the Mossel Bay small boat harbour facilities, the area where restaurants and other tourist attractions are located.
A Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) media release this week noted: "The road surface had reached the end of its design life and it required regular maintenance to repair potholes, especially from heavy traffic during the holiday seasons.
"This 200-metre stretch of road was originally constructed as an emergency road for PetroSA to use as an alternative during the holiday peak season."
TNPA noted: "The estimated budget of the road upgrade project was R16 883 539.00 and the actual cost amounted to R15 342 889.90.
The road upgrade project started on 3 January 2021 and it was completed on 29 July 2022, with a savings of R1 540 649.10."
Mossel Bay port manager Dineo Mazibuko said: "The project had interdependency with the Mossel Bay Municipality which upgraded its sewer system capacity by building a pump station which the projects sewer upgrade will tie into.
The project scope included an upgraded sewer system, implemented in conjunction with the municipality to mitigate capacity constraints and the inability to cope with the flow resulting in sewer overflow due to the increased popularity of the area among locals and holiday makers.
"This portion of the project is 100% complete and fully operational. The municipality was responsible for the sewer pump sump as well as all the associated mechanical equipment thereof (pump, macerator, and valves)."
The press release noted: "The construction phase of the project was executed by Transnet’s internal construction division – TFR, Rail Network Construction (RNC). Fixed-term contract employees were sourced locally from Mossel Bay.
"With the local tourism season fast approaching us, we are confident this project will serve as a catalyst to resuscitate the local tourism economy, create sustainable jobs and improve the image of the Port of Mossel Bay tourism-related facilities."