Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport Ismail Vadi on Thursday announced that Witkoppen road, in Gauteng, would receive a R52-million upgrade over the course of this year. 

The rehabilitation of the 3 km stretch of road from Main road towards Rivonia road would entail upgrading of the road, the reconstruction of existing culverts, the construction of pavement layers, the erection of new road signs and markings, as well as landscaping.

The contract was awarded to Phagama Civil and Maintenance and was expected to be completed by December.

Vadi said he was confident that smaller contractors would be brought on board in this project and a number of jobs, particularly for women and youth, would be created during the construction period.

Meanwhile, Vadi also on Thursday emphasised the need to complete the repair work to a damaged culvert – for which the contract had been awarded to Magic Labour Hire and Security Services earlier this year – on schedule and within budget.

The existing culvert on Witkoppen road was extensively damaged about a year ago owing to excessive water flows into the road drainage system. Consequently, the single lane across the damaged portion of the road posed a hazard to users and led to extensive traffic congestion and frustration among motorists.

This site was officially handed over to the contractor in April this year, with the construction period for the R7.6-million contract being four months.

The repair work included in this contract would comprise the slight widening of the road formation, the demolition of the existing damaged culvert, the construction of a new culvert, and the reinstating of the pavement structure.