Upgrading of the road between Mokhotlong and the Sani pass

Zutari provided all the engineering services for the Lesotho section of the road to Mokhotlong, including the topographical survey of the 46 km route, the preliminary and detailed design of the road, the design of two bridges and 18 major culvert structures. Challenges that the project team experienced included extreme weather conditions and a very challenging terrain. The start of construction was delayed by snow and poor weather frequently interrupted the work schedule. The terrain on the new road varies from sensitive wetlands to mountain passes, traversing an area with elevations between 2 500 and 3 000 m, where structures are exposed to freeze and thaw conditions. These challenges were overcome by meticulous innovative design and project management.

The project delivered a new bitumen standard road between Mokhotlong and the Lesotho border at Sani that provides all-weather access to the public and standard vehicles. The world-class road stimulates tourism and general economic upliftment on both sides of the border.

In the 2017 SAICE and SAFCEC 2017 Annual Awards, the Mokhotlong to Sani Pass Road project was the winner in the Most Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement and Transport Engineering Project for the Year categories.