R23bn traffic plan for Gauteng 12/02/2008 09:45 - Beeld Cape Town
The government plans to spend R23bn to upgrade several roads in Gauteng.This process will be painful as the alterations will initially cause even bigger traffic problems. For a large part of next year several roads will undergo changes and the province will be burdened by road works over extended periods of time. These improvements will be scheduled in two phases.
Until 2010 a number of problematic interchanges on highways will be altered. Afterwards a number of new highways will be built, including a number of roads Gautengers have been awaiting for a long time, such as the PWV-9. Ease traffic problems The Gillooly’s interchange on the M1; The William Nicol interchange on the N1 bypass; The Rivonia Road interchange on the N1 bypass; The Allandale interchange on the N1 highway; The Rigel Lane exit on the N1 in Pretoria;The Atterbury exit at Menlyn in Pretoria; and A new exit on the N1 at Garsfontein Road. Mpumi Mpofu, director general of transport, told the parliamentary media corps on Monday that these projects have already started in the run-up to the 2010 World Cup Soccer Tournament.
“We plan for a certain amount of disruption, but only to ensure that they lead to an improved highway system by 2010. “At most of these interchanges we are constructing additional loops which will ease traffic problems,” said Mpofu. “We can solve the congestion at Allandale to a great extent by using loops without traffic lights.” She said the second priority would be to upgrade the present core network.
This included the R21 and R24 highways on the East Rand and the N1 from North to South, where additional lanes will be constructed. “In addition we will build dedicated bus lanes. We want to encourage everybody to use public transport in order to decrease the number of vehicles on the road.” She also referred to the planned toll system which would be constructed in strategic positions on Gauteng highways.
People will not necessarily have to stop at these tollgates. One will be able to buy pre-paid electronic cards at discount, which will be attached to the windscreen and which will activate an electronic sensor when you drive through the tollgate. The second phase will take place after the World Cup Soccer Tournament and will include large improvements and the building of new roads: A new highway which will run from East to West through Olifantsfontein; The proposed PWV-9, which will run parallel to the N2 and which will eventually become a highway.
This road will run approximately along the route of the present R511 between Sandton and Pretoria West and will replace parts of this road. A highway was also planned for the Germiston area, which will distribute traffic to the East Rand. Mpofu said the latter new roads would be built after 2010 to ensure that construction do not hamper traffic during the soccer tournament.
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