Traffic flow in Rustenburg is about to improve. The R24 on the west side of the town is being upgraded.

It is currently a single-lane road that has recently been incorporated into the national road network. It serves as a link between Rustenburg and other towns and provides access to the N4, Rustenburg’s industrial area as well as various smallholdings along the road.

Rustenburg has experienced significant growth in recent years. A great deal of the development occurred along the R24, which has changed the road’s status to an urban arterial.

Hennie Kotze, SANRAL’s Senior Project Engineer for this upgrade, said the North West province has identified the need to upgrade the R24 from a single to a dual carriageway in order to cater for the increased traffic volumes as a result of numerous developments in the area. He said:

“The increased capacity will also reduce heavy congestion during peak hours that is currently being experienced on the road and also on feeder roads as a result of the lack of capacity of the R24.”

The scope of work involves the construction of new road works, structures and road lighting as well as the rehabilitation of the existing road.

The project started in March 2013 and will be completed in October 2015. Kotze said as part of the contract, SANRAL requires that the contractor allocates work to local SMMEs and employment of local labour – a move which will contribute to job creation and skills development in the area.

These upgrades are done in part to create improved accessibility to adjacent properties, businesses and the potential for further development on vacant land which will have a major impact on economic growth in the area.