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Nowhere in the real world can you build a world class highway without having some impact on the environment. It doesn’t work like that. However, what does work is to make a careful study with the aim of minimising any disturbance that does take place. To this end, N3TC conducted an exhaustive six-month study using the services of a number of environmental experts to identify sensitive and vulnerable areas and provide appropriate solutions.

It’s not just plants, birds and bugs that have come under the microscope. Specialists who participated in the overall study covered a wide spectrum of disciplines including ecology, archaeology, acoustics, air, water and visual quality, soils, geology, social and macro economic factors. In addition to this, consultation has also taken place with to elicit response from all interested and affected parties.

These studies show the road and its construction will have both a positive and negative effect on the area and the residents. "The challenge," Ivins says, "is to minimise the negative aspects and ensure the final outcome provides a net positive result."

N3TC will be guided in this respect by the Environmental Management Plan that has been approved for this project by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.