Civil Engineering December 2021 | Vol 29 No 11

by the Association of Southern African Professional Archaeologists, following which it was determined that construc- tion may proceed. Interestingly enough, the most environmentally-sound solution involved flattening the cut slopes to allow for vegetation to resettle more easily and imitate a natural landscape – in actual fact widening the cutting. Before major construction activities were permitted on site, a 2 m high game- proof fence was erected on the road reserve to ensure that animals did not stray into the construction area and onto the road once completed. In addition, a search-and- rescue operation of indigenous plants was undertaken before construction. A total of 3 556 plants were recovered from the site and temporarily relocated at a nursery close to the project. An additional 1 500 plants were acquired. This mixture included various species of tree, shrub, aloe, creeper and groundcover. The landscaping in the cutting would eventually use 3 930 of the plants and the remainder were planted throughout other areas of the project. The rehabilitation of these plant species within the cutting’s construction footprint allows for quicker and more successful integration of the new road into the natural surroundings. An indigenous hydroseeding mixture, suitable for the particular site conditions, was also specified. This en- sured proper grass cover on erosion-prone areas such as the cut-and-fill batters. As part of the design process, it was identified that baboons, leopards and various antelope species inhabit the nature reserve, and that the construction of the road would divide the reserve into an eastern and a western enclosure, consequently restricting the animals’ movement. To ensure that the impact on the environment is mitigated, a game underpass was designed in collaboration with Dr Paul Bartels from the Department of Nature Conservation at Tshwane University of Technology. It had to be of sufficient size to allow larger game to safely cross under the highway and ensure sufficient levels of light over its significant length for animals not to be deterred from using it. After much deliberation, a corrugated steel structure was selected for this purpose. Factors playing a role included that the clear opening for this structure is larger than for a conventional culvert, thus resulting in more natural light inside the underpass, which will be more inviting for the game to pass through. A skylight was also provided to allow more natural light into the conduit. Being one of the largest corrugated steel culverts ever to be constructed in South Africa, the erection was left in the capable hands of Aveng-Lubocon and was implemented perfectly in line with the requirements. In addition, careful planning of blasting activities in order not to disturb the breeding cycle of the endangered Krantz vulture colony at Skeerpoort was undertaken between the time when the last nestlings left the nests and the next year’s breeding commenced. Local communities and subcontrac- tors were also extensively involved in the project and received both on-site and ac- credited training. A total of 209 full-time local labourers were employed on site for the duration of the project. CONCLUSION On 3 September 2020, Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula officially opened the new highway as an example of engineering excellence. The route now provides the long-awaited shortcut which significantly reduces travel times, being 6 km shorter than the often-congested Z-shaped route passing through Kosmos Village, Damdoryn and the Elephant Sanctuary. Although there is often a struggle between engineers and environmentalists to find common ground when a large infrastructure project is implemented, the project team has demonstrated that infrastructure development can sustain the environment rather than damage it. By taking proactive steps and implementing alternatives that benefit the environment, the project has proved that civil engineering can harmoniously integrate development and minimal environmental impact.  Civil Engineering  December 2021 21 The project was both environmentally and culturally sensitive