THE GOVERNMENT is to spend R3,4bn on three major toll road projects. Transport minister Mac Maharaj announced the projects last week at a briefing on government's long-term road infrastructure vision.
The three projects are: The N3 toll road from Heidelberg to Cedara; the Platinum road from Pretoria West to Lobatse in Botswana; and the Wild Coast road from Port Edward to Port St Johns.
This is good news for the under-developed Transkei in particular. Poor infrastructure and aging bridges have made it a hazardous route for heavy- duty traffic. The road will open up a whole new sector to commercial traffic especially if the region begins to develop tourism infrastructure. One of the main reasons Port St Johns has been unable to develop is the lack of reasonable roads.
Government estimates that it has to spend up to R170bn over the next decade if SA roads are to keep pace with economic development. About R100bn will be sourced from the private sector, mainly through toll roads.
