The upgraded William Nicol Drive, which has been improved to the tune of R422 million, was officially opened by the Gauteng Premier David Makhura and MEC for Roads and Transport Ismail Vadi earlier this week.

The upgrading of William Nicol Drive from a single carriageway to a triple carriageway was aimed at improving access to Diepsloot, Fourways, Randburg and Tshwane.

The old Jukskei River Bridge has been replaced with two new bridges and a new interchange has been built near Erling Street. The Fourways Boulevard has also been upgraded.

“This is a high traffic volume road that needed to be upgraded to facilitate ease of mobility in an area that is the focal point of extensive human settlement developments.

“What is equally important is that the newly constructed road reflects a government policy shift towards ‘complete streets’, which allows for cycling and pedestrian walkways. This reflects the provincial government’s commitment to promote safe, non-motorised transport on a popular route for cyclists,” said MEC Vadi.

The upgrading of the road is expected to improve pedestrian traffic safety and result in increased motorised road user capacity. Also, busses and taxi parking bays are located at key intersections along the road.

One third of the multi-million rand project was funded by the developer, Steyn City Development, while the remainder has been part of the budget of the Gauteng Department Roads and Transport.

A total of 178 workers were employed on site, of which 109 were from the local communities who received training in courses such as first aid, firefighting, anti-waste management and traffic incident investigations.

Phase 2 of the upgrade of William Nicol Drive – linking it to the N14 freeway – will be launched in this financial year.