“What I have seen today is truly an extraordinary operation. Those of you who know me will know that nothing energises me more, and nothing gives me greater confidence in our economy than the sight of massive infrastructure projects, of cranes covering landscapes, and of giant construction sites. They are signs of a government at work, an economy on the rise, and a country on the move.”

These are the words of President Cyril Ramaphosa during the N2 Wild Coast and Msikaba Bridge oversight visit. The visit took place on 23 September 2021 at Lusikisiki in Eastern Cape.

The President still expressing excitement said the Mtentu bridge which is 64km away from the Msikaba bridge will be the highest bridge in Africa and one of the longest bridges of its kind in the world.

He gave more insight on the bridges: “The bridges are part of the N2 Wild Coast Road Project that connects four provinces, namely the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Kwa-Zulu/-Natal and Mpumalanga. Some 410km of route stretches from the Gonubie Interchange near East London to near Port Edward, and to the Mtamvuna River at the KwaZulu-Natal border.”

The President said there were also seven projects developing 112km of a new highway between Port St Johns and Port Edward, and improvement projects along the existing N2 and R61. Of this, the Port St. Johns and Port Edward portion is a greenfield project that commenced in 2016.

Work on the N2 Wild Coast Project will lead to the creation of 8,000 direct full-time jobs and between 21,000 and 28,000 indirect jobs during the construction phase. This translates to a wage bill of around R750 million. Both skilled and semi-skilled people have already been employed on this project.

The President concluded by saying: “The bricks and mortar used to build this bridge and this road are also a form of heritage. What is being constructed isn’t just for our own use and benefit. It will be a gift to the next generation to use.