Gauteng Roads and Transport MEC Ismail Vadi today opened the upgraded R511 road worth R146 million in Johannesburg.

The stretch of road located north-west of Johannesburg, which links Midrand to the North West province, has been upgraded to a high quality paved road.

“The Gauteng City Region, which accounts for the largest share of our country’s economic activity, needs a good quality road network to support its sustainable socio-economic growth and development strategy,” said Vadi.

“The upgrading of this road will serve to stimulate economic activities and trigger economic development between Gauteng and the North West province,” Vadi said.

The MEC said the upgraded road will reduce traffic congestion and serve as a catalyst to equalise the distribution of wealth in the region, as this is an important freight route.

The road rehabilitation project was funded by the provincial department and is envisioned to improve travelling times and safety for road users, cyclists and pedestrians as well as facilitate the development of tourism in the surrounding areas.

The construction work entailed upgrading the road linking Midrand in Johannesburg to Hartebeespoort Dam on the border of the North West province.

The R511 Phase 2 project entailed:

resurfacing and construction of edge beams on the road;

reinstating of road markings and traffic signs;

replacing damaged guardrails;

cleaning road reserve and cutting overgrown grass;

cleaning and repairing drainage structures; and

constructing new drainage structures.

A total of 197 residents were employed in different capacities relating to construction work and eight local sub-contractors participated in the project.

K 46 update

Meanwhile, Vadi has announced that the contract with Lubbe Construction (Pty) Ltd along William Nicol Drive near Diepsloot has lapsed with the effluxion of time.

The contract between Lubbe Construction and the provincial roads and transport department in November 2015 for the upgrading of the K46 was to have been completed in September 2017, but the road works has seen endless delays.

It was extended on two further occasions with Lubbe Construction failing to complete the project as envisaged. In addition, Lubbe Construction had not maintained a valid Performance Guarantee for the project since November last year.

In view of the foregoing, the department is left with no option but to pull out all the stops to ensure that the project is completed by another competent entity.

It’s really unfortunate that the project remains incomplete after all this time. It has caused untold inconvenience and disruption to motorists, residents and the business community in the area, said Vadi.

Source: South African Government News Agency