Some bad news for motorists who wish to travel from Fourways to Diepsloot on William Nicol Drive – the road’s construction will not be completed any time soon.
This is according to a statement released by the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport (GDRT) on 23 October, which said that the department’s contract with contractors Lubbe Construction has officially expired.
The contract was signed in November 2015 and stipulated that construction on the stretch of road would be completed by September last year. However, the project was plagued by delays and is still not complete, meaning that the road has been closed off for months.
The road officially titled the K46, creates a route from the Dainfern area, passes the Diepsloot informal settlement and runs towards the N14 freeway.
A statement issued by the GDRT said, “The contract with Lubbe Construction was extended on two further occasions with the company failing to complete the project within the stipulated timeframes. In addition, Lubbe Construction had not maintained a valid Performance Guarantee for the project since November 2017.
“In view of the foregoing, the department has informed the company that there no longer exists a contract between the parties and that it will procure the services of another competent entity to complete the project.
“It is unfortunate that the project remains incomplete after all this time. It has caused untold inconvenience and disruption to motorists, residents and the business community in the area.”
As to what happens now, a new construction firm will need to be hired to complete the work.
“The department will open a tender process [for the project],” said Melitah Madiba, the media liaison officer for the GDRT.
Madiba concluded, “I cannot give a timeframe for the opening of the tender process, as its specifications still need to be decided.”
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