Public Works and Infrastructure minister Patricia De Lille says the government is moving ahead with several major infrastructure developments across the country\u00a0 – including several new highway upgrades.<\/p>\n
“The Infrastructure Investment Plan forms a central part of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan (ERRP) aimed at stimulating economic growth and job creation as announced by President Ramaphosa in October 2020,” De Lille said in a presentation on Tuesday (22 February).<\/p>\n
The projects within the Infrastructure Investment Plan were gazetted as Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs) in July 2020.<\/p>\n
“Through the SIPs, the government is leading by investing in infrastructure and creating the conditions conducive to create the crowding-in effect by the private sector to create jobs.”<\/p>\n
De Lille said the following new highway and road upgrades were currently in the procurement phase:<\/p>\n
De Lille said the following new highway and road upgrades were currently in the construction phase:<\/p>\n
Much of the infrastructure work is currently being done on the N3 national route connecting Johannesburg and Durban.<\/p>\n
The route is seen as one of the country’s major arteries, with the recent riots cutting off the flow of food and other essential goods from the country\u2019s biggest port to its most populous city.<\/p>\n
In July, the highway was closed for almost a week after looters targeted trucks on the road, with over 20 trucks petrol-bombed and several drivers killed across KwaZulu-Natal.<\/p>\n