Civil Engineering May 2022 | Vol 30 No 4

Civil Engineering May 2022 49 of funding, such as road tolling, together with many other innovative facets of road funding. Q Q The development and application of integrated road net- work management systems. Q Q Developments in the ‘privatisation’ of some sections of the network, such as the Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) concept, as well as early studies into the creation of a roads agency outside of government (SANRAL). Q Q Greatly improved, world-standard approaches to the design and construction of road pavement structures, which com- prise about 40% of the cost of roads. Q Q Other technological developments such as a wider use of concrete roads, asphaltic concrete pavement layers of varying kinds, soil engineering mapping, statistical quality assurance of road construction, environmental protection awareness, and world standard improvements for road de- sign and construction, as well as many other developments. This 26-year period was a very exciting and rewarding time for those involved in the design and construction of national roads. However, as the turn of the century approached, new concepts were being developed by the World Bank and many countries which led to a ‘rethink’ of the most appropriate way to provide government strategic infrastructure such as the primary road network for a country. THE ROADS AGENCY ERA The assets involved in South Africa’s national road network, including the infrastructure capital cost and road user costs, amount to very large sums of money. As such, the network needs effective and efficient management. During the last decade of the 20 th century, and even before then, there had been much discussion worldwide regarding the best way to manage and finance a primary road network. Interaction by CDNR engineers with bodies such as the World Bank and other successful world authorities led to the conclusion that the roads agency concept was the best approach towards managing South Africa’s primary road network. Accordingly, steps were put in place in 1997 to trans- form the CDNR into a roads agency to manage the national road network. This new agency came into being during 1998, with most of the personnel of the CDNR incorporated into the new agency, named the South African National Roads Agency Ltd (SANRAL). The agency was created as a company to run along commercial lines and to implement the national roads programme, on behalf of the NDoT, and answerable to the department and the Minister of Transport as the representative of the shareholder, the South African Government. The mandate given to SANRAL was to “maintain and develop South Africa’s 7 200 km national road network and to manage the assets represented by the road and bridge infra- structure” as an implementing agency on behalf of the NDoT. The department would retain its responsibility for roads policy making and strategic planning, as well as the performance monitoring of SANRAL. The agency opened for business in 1998 with a staff comple- ment considerably less than the previous CDNR, achieved through extensive outsourcing of most of its technical func- tions such as materials testing, surveying, draughting, land A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE SUCCESS ROCLA is South Africa’s leading manufacturer of pre-cast concrete products. Surpassing 100 years of product excellence. • Pipes • Culverts • Manholes • Poles • Retaining walls • Roadside furniture • Sanitation Including other related products within infrastructure development and related industries. Visit us on www.rocla.co.za for our nationwide branches