(1) The improvement of National Route 1 Section 3 from Worcester East (km 3.50) to Glen Heatlie (km 14.00)

Delta Built Environment Consultants (DeltaBEC) has been appointed by EFG Engineers on behalf of the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) for the environmental sub-services for the capacity improvement of National Route 1 Section 3 from Worcester East (km 3.50) to Glen Heatlie (km 14.00). These environmental sub-services include:
• Acquiring Environmental Authorisation via the Scoping and Environmental Impact Assessment process from the National Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment.
• Acquiring General Authorisation from the Department of Water and Sanitation.
The initial project required the adding of additional traffic capacity to the N1 Section 3 between Worcester East at km 3.50 and Glen Heatlie at km 14.00, which currently has a cross-section consisting of two 3,7m lanes and 2,5m shoulders. The scope was later revised to provide a full freeway cross-section for the full length of the upgrade.
The existing road was built sometime during the 1950s or early 1960s by the Cape Provincial Administration (CPA) and was given a significant upgrade around 1985 whilst falling under the CPA. It was subsequently redeclared a National Route and incorporated into the SANRAL National Roads network in 1992. It has been subject to limited periodic maintenance over the past 30 years, most recently in 2018 in the form of a mill and replacement of the bitumen treated base and surfacing between km 12.0 and 14.0.
Three route alignment options were identified for investigation during the conceptual design phase of the project with Option 1 being the preferred alternative.