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11/27/23, 5:09 PM Bentley software and how it helped a construct a highway in South Africa
Bentley software and how it helped a

construct a highway in South Africa

CREATED: 17 OCTOBER 2023

Warren McLachlan, senior engineer, roads and highways, of SMEC South Africa, at the YII Awards in Singapore.
(Image source: Alain Charles Publishing)

At the Year In Infrastructure (YII) awards hosted by Bentley Systems in Singapore,
nominees of the awards presented their projects during the industry breakout
sessions

One of the sessions on the first day of the event was given by SMEC South Africa, which is an
engineering and infrastructure solutions company. Prior to becoming SMEC, the firm was formerly
known as Vela VKE, and has been operating in the region for 70 years.

At the YII event, the company showcased a project it developed in the north east of South Africa, which
is a highway. Called the Montrose Interchange, the highway sits on the East-West route connecting
South Africa to Mozambique, which eventually connects to Botswana. This transport system is critical to
the economies of all three countries.

The original road design, which was built in the 1970s, is insufficient for the current volume of traffic in
the area.

Situated in the narrow gap between the Crocodile and Elands Rivers, the interchange poses challenges
to design requirements because of its restricted topography and rugged terrain. SMEC’s client wanted a
new grade-separated interchange that would allow for free-flow for all traffic, and its design had to meet
the highest standards of quality without breaking the bank.

Using Bentley's ContextCapture software for conceptual design and UAV drone photos, the SMEC team
created a 3D reality mesh of the site. This provided the team with more context regarding site logistics

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