Pretoria – The new R50 million road between Randfontein and Tarlton in the West Rand will be a welcome relief to motorists who have had to battle congestion and potholes over the years.
The 7.9km two-lane, single carriageway between Randfontein and the R24 that connects Mogale City, Tarlton and Rustenburg was officially opened by Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Ismail Vadi on Thursday.
Vadi said the road served as the Randfontein western bypass and was a relatively high mobility, rural road moving large volumes of people and agricultural goods.
Supporting rural economy
“It links Randfontein to the R24, which in turn is a major route between Mogale City and Rustenburg. We hope that it will support the rural economy and facilitate ease of mobility between Gauteng and the North West Province,” said Vadi.
He indicated that he had travelled on the road several times in the past, when it was in a very poor condition due to the dolomitic nature of the area and the formation of sinkholes.
“There were lots of potholes and, with over 1000 cars and trucks using it on a daily basis, it posed as a major risk to motorists and pedestrians in the area,” he said.
The road has been upgraded to a 9.4m-wide surfaced road with a storm water system which can accommodate a 1-in-25 year flood occurrence.
Employment opportunities
During the construction phase, the project created employment opportunities for 111 persons, including 81 youths.
The project was also linked to a basic training programme related to road maintenance and construction and a local economic empowerment component involving four contractors.
The original contract was terminated due to poor performance by the previous contractor. The process had to start afresh last year. – SAnews.gov.za
