“We are in the hands of the Department of Transport (DoT) as to when tolling will begin in Gauteng,” says South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) senior project manager Alex van Niekerk.

The tariff framework for the 185 km first phase of the GFIP is currently the subject of a government review, following a public outcry over the toll fees as proposed in February. The original fee structure, which was to be introduced on June 23, would have charged motorists 66c/km, without discounts.

Van Niekerk advises that even if the DoT announces a revised toll fee structure in the next few weeks, it will still “take some time – a few months – before it can be implemented”.

“We have to make provision for the registration of accounts and for people to get their etags, for example.”

As for the expansion of the GFIP into a second phase, Van Niekerk tells Engineering News Online that Sanral’s current focus is first and foremost on the successful completion of the initial phase of the multibillion-rand project.

However, he emphasises that the second phase of the GFIP remains on Sanral’s books.

“We still have a lot of ground to cover on the second phase, such as looking at finance models, gaining public acceptance and determining who will be responsible for implementing the project,” says Van Niekerk.

Phase two of the GFIP will include upgrading more existing roads, as well as the construction of new roads, such as one parallel to the Ben Schoeman highway running between Pretoria and Johannesburg.

As for GFIP phase one, Van Niekerk expects construction on several roads to be “substantially complete” by the end of June.

On the N1 from Soweto to the Buccleuch interchange, the bulk of work will be completed by the end of the month, with the upgraded Allandale interchange to open on June 23.

The remainder of the N1, from the Brakfontein interchange to the experimental farm (proefplaas) at the N1/N4 split, will also be substantially complete by the end of June.

“There are some small things that still require attention, but the majority of work will be completed,” says Van Niekerk.

However, the John Vorster interchange on this stretch of road will be completed later than June, as work on this structure was delayed owing to Gautrain construction work.

Van Niekerk says the R21 is largely complete, but with work on the section between the East Rand Mall and the OR Tambo International Airport to probably only wrap up in September.

Work on the N12 south of Johannesburg, from the N1 to the Reading interchange, is largely complete, with some electrical work still outstanding.

The N3 from Buccleuch to the Geldenhuys interchange will be largely complete by the end of June.

The first sections of the N12 to the East Rand will be complete by the end of the year, with work on the remaining sections to wrap up only later.

The N3 from the Geldenhuys interchange to Alberton, and from the N12 to the Elands interchange, will be substantially complete by the end of November, says Van Niekerk.