Johannesburg - The upgrading of William Nicol Drive from a single roadway to a triple carriageway has made the lives of the local community of Diepsloot and the surrounding areas much easier as they are now able to reach places like Fourways, Randburg and Tshwane with ease.
Motorists are now travelling without having to worry about bumpy and uneven road as was the situation in the past.
Before the upgrades Diepsloot residents, especially those working in Fourways, had to endure traffic congestion which was a daily thing. It would take about half an hour to get to work, but this has now been reduced to only 10 to 15 minutes.
This has also reduced the number of accidents which used to occur in that particular stretch of the road. The many pedestrians who make the trek to Fourways were always at risk of being knocked down by cars.
The bus and taxi business is also booming thanks to the upgrades.
Jeff Makhudu, a taxi operator from Diepsloot, said he is now able to make more trips as a result of the upgraded road.
“In the past we used to compete for the road with big trucks that at times travel very slow because of the heavy loads they are carrying. Apart from that, the road was very bad as it used to have potholes that were damaging our cars,” he said.
“We used to repair our cars on a weekly basis because of the potholes,” he added.
For shop assistant, Grace Nkanyezi, things have changed for the better as she no longer arrives late for work.
“Now it takes me 15 minutes to get to work as oppose to an hour,” she said.
The upgraded William Nicol Drive which has been improved to the tune of R422 million, was recently opened by the Gauteng Premier David Makhura and MEC for Roads and Transport Ismail Vadi.
Speaking at the official opening, Vadi said: “This is a high traffic volume road that needed to be upgraded to facilitate ease of mobility in an area that is the focal point of extensive human settlement developments.
“What is equally important is that the newly constructed road reflects a government policy shift towards ‘complete streets’, which allows for cycling and pedestrian walkways.”
He said government would invest in any development that is important to employment and economic growth of the Gauteng region.
More than 170 people were employed on site, of which 109 were from the local communities who received training in courses such as first aid, firefighting, anti-waste management and traffic incident investigations.
The construction on the section of the road that stretches from Leaping Frog Shopping Centre to just before Diepsloot started in September 2011.
The project included the demolishing of the existing Jukskei River Bridge and the construction of two new bridges crossing the river.
During construction, contractors were provided with a substantial portion of the work, while local and other labourers were trained on how to execute the work with a high degree of safety.
Phase 2 of the upgrade of William Nicol Drive - linking it to the N14 freeway - is expected to be launched later this year. – SAnews.gov.za
