In the history of public decision-making in South Africa, few issues have been as contentious and expensive as the project to improve the main roads of the province of Gauteng. As the province subject to high levels of inward migration due to its profile as the economic heartbeat of the country, Gauteng’s need to create infrastructure that keeps up with its population growth required innovative solutions involving government and other role players.
The traffic congestion that escalated in the early 2000s and created gridlocks across the provincial transport network required a massive investment in road upgrades that escalated ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and formed part of the country’s infrastructure boom. Investments in the Gautrain and the upgrade of the freeways seemed premised on the need to create road infrastructure that was fit for purpose, while also creating a modern rail option that would position the city as a modern economic hub with the infrastructure to match that profile.
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