The excitement of the World Cup has faded, but the legacy of the many projects executed by the engineers at GIBB will be experienced for decades to come. From road infrastructure and state of the art stadiums, to the excitement of Africa’s most advanced rail network (the 160 kilometer per hour Gautrain Rapid Rail Link Project), GIBB has been involved in some of the most revolutionary projects on the African continent.  


Keeping SA’s Economic Wheels Turning
GIBB is actively involved in the development and management of integrated transport systems. One of the projects where GIBB’s engineering expertise has proved invaluable is in the design and construction of the future HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lanes for a 12km section of the N3 highway between the Geldenhuys and Heidelberg interchanges. Until the HOV system is introduced these lanes will be available to all traffic.

“The designation of a specific lane for high occupancy vehicles is designed to get South African motorists to abandon the mindset of ‘one vehicle, one driver’ and embrace more cost-effective,  multi-passenger vehicles leading to environmentally friendly less exhaust emissions motoring,” says Paul Taylor, Director of the SANRAL initiative.

GIBB is also involved in the new 400-meter “switch ramp” bridge at the Elands interchange in order to separate the traffic on the N12 heading towards the M2 highway from the N3 northbound traffic.

This bridge is being incrementally launched over the 100, 000 vehicles per day traffic passing below. In addition, GIBB has also been actively involved in the Gautrain project and the rollout of the Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transit System and similar projects across the country.


The Moses Mabhida Station – Keeping Durban on Track for a Brighter Future
As far back as the 1990s, Durban Metrorail identified the need for a station located between the Umgeni and central Durban Stations to serve the growing catchment area. When South Africa was granted the honour of hosting the World Cup, the need for the construction of a new station became even more urgent. This urgency prompted the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) to fast track the development of the new station to support the eThekweni 2010 Transport Plan requirements for transportation of spectators to the Moses Mabhida Stadium. This stadium is undoubtedly one the most spectacular stadiums in the country, if not the world, and has won numerous prestigious awards. The iconic R110m station constructed over the main railway staging yard features modern facilities with provisions for Special Needs Passenger, Integrated Communication Systems and new generation speedgates for access control in readiness for automated ticket verification in the near future.

“The logistics associated with building the new station while at the same time allowing the freight and passenger service to operate freely and safely, whilst protecting the construction site and workers was especially challenging,” says Anita Govender, GIBB’s Project Director “The participative collaboration of the client, PRASA and Durban Metrorail, all stakeholders, including eThekwini and Transnet Freight Rail, with the professional team and contractors made for a hugely successful project that was completed on time and within budget. The station has added a new dimension to the experience of spectators using this sports precinct.   

The legacy of the project is not only the facility itself, but also the skills transfer that was achieved. The railway engineering sector faces a severe skills shortage. The project provided an excellent opportunity to employ some highly experienced railway engineers to execute the works, while providing mentorship for junior railway engineers – something that will stand the local rail industry in good stead for decades to come.


The Livingstone Hospital – A Healthy Approach to Engineering
A number of national infrastructure upgrades were planned for completion prior to the whistle blowing for the kickoff of the first game of the World Cup. One such a project was the upgrading of the Livingstone Hospital in Port Elizabeth. The main section that was built was the Accident and Emergency centre and the central utilities block, at a cost of approximately R260m.

“We were faced with an extremely confined site requiring innovative design and construction, with the added pressure of ensuring that existing medical operations and services were not interrupted during construction,” says Linsley Pudney, GIBB Associate and Project Leader of the Livingstone Hospital Initiative. “We also had to fast track construction when the timeframe for completion of the project was reduced from a 15 month to a 12 month contract in order to have a new facility operating by the start of the World Cup.”

By pulling out all the stops, GIBB were able to complete the project within the narrower timeframe and within the allocated budget.

“I’m sure I echo the sentiments of all my colleagues who worked on the Livingstone Hospital project when I say that I feel privileged to have been part of a development that will make a real difference to communities in the Port Elizabeth area for years to come, despite the challenges we faced,” concludes Linsley.