Pretoria - The upgrade of the R573 Moloto Road will feature safety aspects that will help to curb road accidents and save people’s lives, says Transport Minister Dipuo Peters.
“From an engineering perspective, South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) interventions will create a safer road through the widening of critical sections, the introduction of roundabouts, pedestrian walkways and dedicated turning lanes at vital intersections, and the introduction of better street lighting,” Minister Peters said.
She was speaking on Tuesday during her visit to Kwa-Mhlanga in Mpumalanga, where she engaged with various stakeholders on issues related to the Moloto road.
The 160 kilometres stretch of road runs through three provinces, which include Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga, and is used by approximately 50 000 commuters daily.
“We want to improve this piece of infrastructure so that it becomes a safer road.
“SANRAL has already started with routine road maintenance, which includes the repair of potholes, the sealing of cracks, the cleaning of drains, the trimming of foliage along the road, new line markings and road signs,” Minister Peters said.
Additionally some of the most hazardous and illegal access routes that have sprung up next to the main road through the years will now be closed and proper fencing and walkways will be constructed.
“I want to emphasise the fact that the road construction projects initiated by SANRAL across the country are always accompanied by opportunities for construction, job creation and training that benefit the surrounding communities,” she said.
Minister Peters said the Moloto Road project will open up great opportunities for emerging contractors to establish joint ventures with the bigger construction firms and to create opportunities for job, training and skills transfers within the local economy.
Annually SANRAL spends about R2.4 billion on contracts with Small, Medium and Micro-sized Enterprises (SMMEs), especially benefiting enterprises owned by black entrepreneurs, women, the youth and people with disabilities.
“As government we have launched a number of major infrastructure development programmes designed to create the basis upon which the country will grow over the next three to four decades as we proceed with the implementation of the National Development Plan,” Minister Peters said.
The Moloto Development Corridor will play an important role as a logistics spine that connects the three northern provinces and through its linkages with the N4 freeway, also extends into the wider Southern African region.
“Within Mpumalanga the road will, no doubt, be a catalyst to stimulate economic growth, especially in the Dr J S Moroka and Thembisile Hani Municipalities.
“In Limpopo the road will be a strategic factor in the implementation of the Provincial Development Plan with its strong emphasis on mining, agriculture and tourism as the major drivers for future economic growth,” she said. – SAnews.gov.za
