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The SA National Roads Agency (Sanral) has reported steady progress in the R4.5 billion project to refurbish and upgrade one of the country's most dangerous roads, Moloto Road, pointing to a positive impact on curbing fatal crashes.
With 33 horrific crashes killing 33 people in 2022 alone, the regional route 573 (R573-Moloto Road) traversing three provinces—Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo—is known as the road of death.
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It is estimated that at least 60 000 people, mainly from the erstwhile KwaNdebele homeland, use the road, which connects Pretoria with Marble Hall via KwaMhlanga and Siyabuswa, weekly to commute to and from Pretoria.
Many people in the former homeland, about 122 km northeast of Pretoria, work, study and conduct other business activities in Pretoria and mainly use Putco buses to commute.
One of the most horrible accidents on the road was in November 2013, when 29 people were killed when two buses collided near Kwaggafontein in Mpumalanga.
Reckless driving, particularly dangerous overtaking, the layout of the road, as well as the volume of traffic have been pointed out as contributing factors to the high rate of deadly crashes on the road.
Some of the interventions of the project are to widen the road into two lanes, erection of concrete barriers separating the opposing lanes to prevent overtaking and conversion of intersections into roundabouts to ease traffic flow.
The issue of poor visibility attributed to the high number of pedestrians hit on the road has also been a major issue, and the erection of high mast lights on the road is expected to tackle this problem.
Sanral northern region manager Progress Hlahla said that on the Mpumalanga side of the project, all layer works have been completed up to the base layer on the right-hand side in the south bound direction, with the bridge and major works at just over 50% of completion.
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He said:
Hlahla said construction of the median barriers was currently at 90% progress and sidewalks on the southbound carriageway have been completed.
In Limpopo, he said, the surfacing of the road was currently 95% complete, with all layer works, median barriers, lighting, drainage works and cattle-creeps/agricultural underpasses completed.
Hlahla added that a contractor was yet to be appointed to begin work on the Gauteng part of the road.
For Mpumalanga, the northbound side needs to be completed, together with the installation of light masts and the remaining stormwater infrastructure. Works that still need to be done in Limpopo include fencing, ancillary works, road markings and signage installation.
He said the introduction of traffic-calming measures, such as roundabouts, has had a positive impact on road safety.
Hlahla said the introduction of light masts would also ensure visibility for road users at night and the constructed cattle-creeps would ensure a safe passage for livestock, removing them from the actual road.
