Multibillion road upgrade hits another snag

The long-awaited upgrade of the K46 along Diepsloot in Johannesburg to the N14 freeway has been hit by another curveball, with the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport warning the construction company last week that failure to meet its schedule would result in termination of the contract. According to the notice, drafted by the head of department Ronald Swartz, the company has until 5 March to urgently take “remedial steps” to improve its performance. Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Ismail Vadi, said that the Department “regards non-delivery of contract requirements by contractors as a serious matter”.  “What it means practically is that the public is not getting what it is paying for. In this instance, the construction company has consistently failed to deliver on the construction milestones and the project has gone beyond the established completion date, which calls for more drastic action,” said Vadi.  Swartz pointed out that despite being placed on formal notice on numerous occasions in the past year – including being instructed to increase capacity and ensure timely materials deliveries – the company had not been able to demonstrate an ability to meet its scheduled targets.