Skip to main content

South Africa's world class tollway development

Part of an extensive motorway network measuring some 185km, the ongoing Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GIFP) is creating a modern, world-class toll route system that provides major impetus to socio-economic growth in South Africa's most populous and commercially active region.
May 8, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Part of an extensive motorway network measuring some 185km, the ongoing Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GIFP) is creating a modern, world-class toll route system that provides major impetus to socio-economic growth in South Africa's most populous and commercially active region.

Being implemented in stages by the 3156 South African National Road Agency (SANRAL), these routes radiate outwards from the country's largest city Johannesburg to Pretoria's industrial and residential centres and to all points of the compass.

Already on major N1 and N3 transportation upgrades within Gauteng, previous congestion has now been replaced by free-flowing traffic that is foremost driven by business priorities that are time dependant. So too are the ensuing construction works.

National Route 12 (N12) is one of SANRAL's strategic priorities and it is here that civil engineering contractor 3038 Raubex Construction is  implementing a ACTFILE LOCATION:

• South Africa
PROJECT:
• National Route 12 (N12)
CONTRACTOR:
• Raubex Construction
EQUIPMENT:
178 Caterpillar RM500 rotary mixer
complete  overhaul on Section 19, an intensive programme running over 30 months.

Three major new interchanges, successive bridge widenings and an east and westbound three-lane highway in either direction will replace the existing N12 dual carriageway system along approximately 10km between the current Tom Jones and Daveyton on- and off-ramps.

The median reserve will be replaced by a central concrete median barrier to make room for the new lanes, which is where the roadworks begin, progressively moving from the inside out to complete the new freeway system.

This is the main access point passing into and out of Gauteng's West Rand region to the agricultural and mining heartland of Mpumalanga province.

Managing high traffic densities together with major road realignments will be just one of a number of challenges that need to be carefully managed. The N12 design calls for an emulsion and cement stabilisation mix for the sub-base layers.

"The N12 contract follows a similar pattern to the SANRAL project we completed in May 2010 for Section 1 of the R21 upgrade, which links OR Tambo International Airport with Pretoria [South Africa's capital]," explains Raubex Construction operations manager, Wouter van der Merwe.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Norway’s record breaking undersea road tunnel
    February 25, 2015
    The world's deepest road tunnel is currently in construction near Stavanger in Norway but is only the prelude to even larger projects - report and photographs by Adrian Greeman. Norway's convoluted coastline of fjords and high mountains is famously scenic but also a major problem for transport and connections. The country has long experience of constructing tunnels as a result. Now a series of tunnels underway, or in design, around the oil industry city of Stavanger will stretch its skills more than usual.
  • East Africa drives towards road tolling
    March 18, 2016
    Road tolling is increasing in East Africa as the region’s countries expand highway networks - Shem Oirere writes. The drive towards road tolling in East Africa is gaining momentum. Uganda appears to have broken ranks with its neighbours to make huge strides in achieving progress with this innovative road financing plan. Road tolling has hitherto has been held back in East Africa for lack of political goodwill and State bureaucracies. Kenyan government officials have made announcements on planned road tollin
  • New UK motorway link under construction
    June 18, 2015
    Construction of a new junction on the M1 near Dunstable in Bedfordshire is starting in the UK. The new junction, junction 11A, is located just to the south of Toddington services and forms part of a new €225 million link road between the A5 and the M1 that will help to unlock growth and reduce congestion in the area. Work on the link road began in March.
  • Terex Trucks scoring order in South Africa
    May 11, 2018
    Terex Trucks is building its market share in South Africa through its partnership with Babcock International The Generation 10 articulated hauler is now developing sales in the Southern Africa region, while the rigid haulers such as the top-of-the-range TR100 are also said to be proving popular. With a series of investments, Terex Trucks has been working together with Babcock to strengthen the perception of its articulated and rigid haulers, through factory visits to the manufacturer’s headquarters in Mo