The first phase of the Diepsloot Gravel Roads Upgrade Programme is nearing completion and promises to leave motorists much happier as they no longer have to navigate uneven, bumpy roads.

Undertaken by the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) at a cost of R34 million, the phase is “99% complete”, according to Member of the Mayoral Committee for Transport Councillor Christine Walters.

Walters says this phase is expected to be completed by the end of the 2014-2015 financial year on June 30, paving the way to a smoother, stress-free and enjoyable driving experience for the township’s motorists.

The project is complemented by asphalt surfacing, conversion of the area’s open stormwater drains into an underground system and the sprucing up of related infrastructure.

Mpho Kau, JRA’s Acting Managing Director, says phase 2 of the project has already taken off and is now 60% complete.

Implemented at a cost of R33 million, this phase is expected to be completed by the end of December this year.

This will bring the total cost of the two projects to R67 million. Kau says phase 3, which is expected to consolidate work done in the first two phases, is expected to start soon.

“We are already in the process of procuring a professional service provider to tackle this leg of the programme. We will soon also announce the appointment of a consultant to carry out the relevant investigations and design work needed to kick-start the phase,” Kau says.

Situated in northern Johannesburg, the densely populated township of Diepsloot is sometimes jokingly referred to as a “community under construction” due to the number of infrastructure projects being undertaken in the area by both the City of Johannesburg and the Gauteng Provincial Government to improve the residents’ quality of life.

–Joburg.org.za