Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project

[Vierwielen]

Where's all the money coming from to upgrade these fantastic junctions?

Have you seen the price of gold recently?

[booshank]

Where's all the money coming from to upgrade these fantastic junctions?

They have introduced tolls on many of the freeways in the area to pay for upgrades. This has been pretty unpopular as previously in South Africa the situation with tolling was very similar to the UK in that tolls only applied to a very few bridges and tunnels that were especially big engineering projects.

On the other hand, the developing world has not been hit nearly as hard by the economic crisis as Europe and the USA, and so there is not the same squeeze on spending.

[Vierwielen]

Where's all the money coming from to upgrade these fantastic junctions?

They have introduced tolls on many of the freeways in the area to pay for upgrades. This has been pretty unpopular as previously in South Africa the situation with tolling was very similar to the UK in that tolls only applied to a very few bridges and tunnels that were especially big engineering projects.

On the other hand, the developing world has not been hit nearly as hard by the economic crisis as Europe and the USA, and so there is not the same squeeze on spending.

I have done a few toll comaprisons:

South Africa
du Toits Kloof Tunnel R25.00 = £2.10 approx
N3: Durban- Colenso/Winterton (207km) R41.00 = R0.20/km = 1.8p/km approx

Italy
A1: Milan - Naples (750 km) - £40 = 6p/km

Britain
Severn Bridge - £5.50
M6 Toll (43 km) - £5.30 = 12p/km

[jackal]

In Gauteng the tolling will apply to much of the huge existing freeway mileage in the province. As such, those locals who understand it - a small minority, in my experience - tend to oppose it, notwithstanding the upgrades it makes possible.

This is quite a radical change of policy: previously, I believe SA policy was similar to UK policy, in that tolling only applied to new build roads, and the old road remained available. (It looks like the UK may be following SA's lead in a much smaller way in Runcorn.)

Given the above, it's not difficult to see where the money for the Gauteng scheme comes from. The M6 Toll would be very profitable if the scheme included tolling the M6 through Birmingham.

[signol]

In Gauteng the tolling will apply to much of the huge existing freeway mileage in the province.

It's also a nationwide issue. The planning for the new N2 freeway though the Wild Coast area of the Eastern Cape would be part funded by a new toll plaza on the N2 in Durban's southern suburbs...

signol

[booshank]

In Gauteng the tolling will apply to much of the huge existing freeway mileage in the province.

It's also a nationwide issue. The planning for the new N2 freeway though the Wild Coast area of the Eastern Cape would be part funded by a new toll plaza on the N2 in Durban's southern suburbs...

signol

The local government in Durban are resisting this strongly, and it is the same in the Western Cape where SANRAL wants to toll the N1 and N2 north/east of the R300.

On the other hand, I think the N2 does badly need upgrading between East London and Port Shepstone. In that part of the country the coastal plain disappears and rugged terrain stretches right down to the coast (that's why it is known as the Wild Coast) and so the N2 is deflected up to 100km inland on quite a detour and becomes quite winding. It is 350 km between East London and Port Shepstone as the crow flies but 540 km by road.

I wonder what the economic impact of tolling is. My feeling is that tolling is politically easier, but doesn't provide as much stimulation to the economy as roads that are free to use paid out of general taxation, because a person or company will use a free road more as they have already paid for it.

East London to Port Shepstone - Google Maps

Back to the GFIP and there are some nice before-after comparisons where new and old satellite views are stitched together: Western Bypass - Google Maps

[jackal]

I wonder what the economic impact of tolling is. My feeling is that tolling is politically easier, but doesn't provide as much stimulation to the economy as roads that are free to use paid out of general taxation, because a person or company will use a free road more as they have already paid for it.

Another couple of negative impacts of tolling:

(1) The cost of the tolling infrastructure, be it toll booths or hundreds of cameras and support systems.

(2) Congestion - both on lower standard roads used to avoid tolls and (if booths are used) on the tolled road itself.

[booshank]

Not Gauteng related, but as we were talking about Durban here too I can across a SANRAL report with what I thought was some intriguing proposals for upgrading the EB Cloete interchange:

N2: EB Cloete Interchange upgrade

The EB Cloete Interchange is the only four-level interchange in KwaZulu-Natal that provides access to all
four directions to both the N2 and N3. It is commonly referred to as “spaghetti junction” due to its multilevel free-flow layout. Traffic on the interchange has steadily increased, resulting in major bottlenecks on
the N2 outer ring road and significant delays during peak traffic periods.

Due to its complexity (including a large A-frame structure) and limited capacity to upgrade, a tender for
professional services called for a “design competition” to show how the interchange could be upgraded.
Consulting engineers proposed various solutions, showcasing the capability of the South African Civil
Engineering Industry. The successful consultant’s idea was innovative yet simple, addressing the constraint
at the lowest level of the interchange by removing the centre leg of the A-frame structure to allow the
ramps to be widened. The A-frame beam would be supported using cables attached to a large steel arch
structure. All the other ramps will need to be widened to two lanes and the N2 and N3 carriageways will be
widened to four lanes in each direction. This allows for additional lanes to be introduced at a later stage.

The estimated cost of the upgrade is about R550 million. The design is being finalised and the upgrade will
begin when funds become available

I'd always thought that massive A-frame structure that supports the third and fourth levels was rather unusual and that it was odd to have a stack interchange with D3 mainlines but only single lane ramps (especially positioning the supports so there is only room for a single lane at the lowest level).

[jackal]

Toll income is coming in at 37% of expectations... seems the grand plans for new freeways won't see the light of day.

[jackal]

Apparent confirmation that the new freeways are probably not going to happen:

http://www.bdlive.co.za/business/transp ... ays-sanral

I was looking at some of the upgraded interchanges discussed above on GE:

Allandale - now an unusual freeflow design - https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@-26.0237 ... a=!3m1!1e3
Geldenhuys - with the new ramp duplicating the N3->N3 movement, allowing traffic to choose which side of the six lane section they want to be on, thereby reducing weaving https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@-26.2548 ... a=!3m1!1e3
Gilloolly's - supposedly the busiest interchange in Africa (though the nearby Buccleuch is also a candidate), now with a second semi-direct ramp - https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@-26.1706 ... a=!3m1!1e3

[mistral]

On my last visit in October 2010, I didn't see much work on the N1 - but the D2 R21 is being widened, but it does seem to be overkill.

Every time I go to northern South Africa, my first & last journeys are to & from Tambo Airport along the R21. My most recent visit was in February/March of this year, and I’m jolly glad that they upgraded the road to D4. I dread to think how busy it must have been 10 years ago as a D2!

Another road in the same area that has always been busy when I’ve driven along it has been the N12 section between Rietfontein (J429) and Delmas (J477); not busy enough to cause traffic jams, but busy enough to be a bit ‘hectic’, and to make me switch off the cruise control.

[Vierwielen]

... snip
Well, they've got to do something with all those new train fares they are collecting! R100 for a single ticket to the airport...

signol

... and I was paid R60 per month for my first holiday job (aged 16) in 1964. There has been a little inflation since then, also the rand has dropped from R2=£1 to R21=£1.

[jackal]

Another road in the same area that has always been busy when I’ve driven along it has been the N12 section between Rietfontein (J429) and Delmas (J477); not busy enough to cause traffic jams, but busy enough to be a bit ‘hectic’, and to make me switch off the cruise control.

If you think it's bad out at Delmas you should have tried it a decade ago, when it was D2 as far in as Atlas Rd (434).

The widening ended at Kingsway Rd (447). West of there is the new European style motorway with concrete barriers, east of there it's more like rural North America with plenty of space to widen into the central reservation.

[mistral]

On my last visit in October 2010, I didn't see much work on the N1 - but the D2 R21 is being widened, but it does seem to be overkill.

Every time I go to northern South Africa, my first & last journeys are to & from Tambo Airport along the R21. My most recent visit was in February/March of this year, and I’m jolly glad that they upgraded the road to D4. I dread to think how busy it must have been 10 years ago as a D2!

I've had the dubious pleasure of driving on the R21 three times in the past few weeks, and I fear that they're going to have to widen some parts of it yet again ... the sections near Tambo Airport & the Flying Saucer (N1/R21, nr. Pretoria) were rammed every single time in both directions!

[mistral]

It looks as if the E Toll system may finally be disappearing.

E-tolls 'will be history' in Gauteng

The Gauteng e-toll scheme is expected to be delinked from the end of March this year.

This was announced by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi during the State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Monday evening.

“E-tolls are a system that was introduced in the province by national government on the basis that we wanted to improve our road network. We have now reached a stage where we all accept that the people of Gauteng have rejected e-tolls.

More at the link.

https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/ ... ier-lesufi

[Vierwielen]

It looks as if the E Toll system may finally be disappearing.

E-tolls 'will be history' in Gauteng

The Gauteng e-toll scheme is expected to be delinked from the end of March this year.

This was announced by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi during the State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Monday evening.

“E-tolls are a system that was introduced in the province by national government on the basis that we wanted to improve our road network. We have now reached a stage where we all accept that the people of Gauteng have rejected e-tolls.

More at the link.

https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/ ... ier-lesufi

The South Africans are having a general election in May this year. I don't know if that is relevant.

[Vierwielen]

I have just finished driving along the N1 in my Googlecar and I saw an interesting central barrier here - a fence with razor wire! The only reason that I can think of such a construction is to deter pedestrians from crossing the road!

[jackal]

I have just finished driving along the N1 in my Googlecar and I saw an interesting central barrier here - a fence with razor wire! The only reason that I can think of such a construction is to deter pedestrians from crossing the road!

I've seen pedestrians running across the R300 in Cape Town so thought I'd check, and it does indeed have similar countermeasures now: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@-33.9692 ... ?entry=ttu

[Peter Freeman]

^ Mention of the R300 takes me back. In 1975 I bought a home in Belleville - actually a little pocket called Vredenberg. Our house was almost next to the westbound off-ramp from N1 (which was then numbered N9, IIRC) to M31 Old Oak Road. I see from GMaps that that off-ramp is no longer there, presumably deleted when R300's connector became too close.

Having long been a road-geek by then, I was well aware of the R300 plans, and always hoped that it would be built in time for me to see it. Alas, we left SA in 1977, before that happened.

Our small, young family would occasionally ramble down the hill to where the R300/N1 interchange now lies. It was a totally undeveloped patch, with the insignificant and rather scruffy Kuilsrivier straggling through. One day we found a large dead rat on the water's edge, and subsequently it was always known, to us, as 'Dead Rat Creek'.

Are there stll plans to complete the stack and extend R300 northwards from there? How would 'R300 Dead Rat Parkway' sound?