Millions to be spent on local roads
The Modimolle-Mookgophong Municipality will benefit from a much-needed financial injection of R1,3 billion by the National Roads Agency (Sanral) for improvements and upgrades on national roads in the area.
This also brings opportunities for businesses and employment possibilities to locals. The town of Vaalwater will boast a brand-new look according to designs showed by Sanral.
Representatives of Sanral met with the community on Friday 11 August at the Leseding Hall in Vaalwater as part of the “Taking Sanral to the People” stakeholder-led engagement session.
The session was attended by Sanral project leaders, Ben Thobela, municipal manager of the municipality, as well as Sinah Langa, speaker, and other officials. Many residents, eager to hear about possible job opportunities, also attended the meeting.
These upgrades and improvements only apply to national roads and not roads that fall under the management of the provincial roads agency (RAL) or municipalities.
Where the money will be spent:
The projects, some of which started in May 2022, include the following:
Upgrades to the R101 from Bela-Bela to Middelfontein (between Modimolle and Mookgophong) as well as from Thabazimbi to Bela-Bela on the R516. The value of the Bela-Bela to Middelfontein project is R650 million, while the project from Thabazimbi to Bela-Bela as well as on the R520 from Lephalale municipal boundary to the R33 intersection at Vaalwater, and the R33 from Modimolle to Lephalale municipal boundary is valued at R47 million.
The value of the improvement of the R33 national road from the N1 to Modimolle, which is very narrow with no shoulders, is valued at R350 million.
The upgrading of the R33 national road in Vaalwater Town is valued at R220 million:
Routine maintenance of the N11 national road from the Ephraim Mogale (Groblersdal) to Mogalakwena (Mokopane) municipal boundary, R33 national road from N11 intersection to Modimolle and R101 road from Middelfontein to Mogalakwena municipal boundary is valued at R44 million.
Maintenance will also be done on the N1 from Bela-Bela to Cyferfontein as well as the N1 from Cyferfontein to Middelfontein and Middelfontein to Rietvlei and is valued at R86 million.
According to Palesa Monabodi of Sanral, work on the N1 from Kranskop Plaza to the municipal border is aimed at improving the road’s capacity and safety. Die Pos has repeatedly reported serious accidents on this stretch of road. The road will be widened to the left and divided into a dual carriageway, interchanges will be upgraded and all the bridges will also be widened. It is currently in the design stage.
The road from Bela-Bela to Modimolle will also be widened and existing bridges will be demolished and new improved bridges will be built. This project will start next year in January and the duration of the project is scheduled for 30 months.
The upgrades of the R33 from the N1 through Modimolle up to Correctional Services will commence in March next year. The tender is still open. The next stretch of the R33 up to Witklip will start in June next year. The road will be widened and given wider shoulders. From there up to Vaalwater extensive work will be done with improvements of the intersections and the building of several new bridges.
A new look for Vaalwater:
The thoroughfare through Vaalwater will sport a double carriageway and some side roads will also be upgraded and others closed. Six kilometres of pedestrian/cycling lanes will be built and street lights will be installed. Sanral has already been in contact with affected businesses. This project ends at the R517-road opposite Spar and covers 2,5 km of roads. Tenders have closed and a contractor will be appointed by the end of August. The project will last approximately 15 months.
Local residents will be employed unless the skills needed cannot be sourced in the area. Then residents elsewhere in the district will be considered. Representatives of Sanral explained that they have to adhere to guidelines of employment and that a certain percentage of enterprises owned by youth, women, military veterans and disabled persons must be employed.
Speaker Sinah Langa appealed to the community to not stop the projects as this is a great opportunity to improve the local towns. She invited them to engage with their councillors, who will take the matter up with Sanral.
Some of the concerns raised by residents include the fronting of companies applying for contracts, whether smaller enterprises will benefit from the projects, that the appointment of contractors and workers must be fair and that contractors must be monitored to not exploit the workers.
Ken Maud from the Waterberg Development Initiative raised concerns regarding the impact if the number of trucks passing through the biosphere region increases.
