Pretoria - JSE-listed Balwin Properties has inaugurated a new dual carriageway that is set to significantly alleviate traffic congestion in the Hazeldean area, east of Pretoria.
According to location technology company Tom Tom’s latest Traffic Index, Pretoria ranks as South Africa’s most congested city, with an average of 145 hours (6 days) spent in rush hour per year, while the average time it takes to drive 10km is 16 minutes.
Speaking at the launch on Friday, Steve Brookes, CEO of Balwin Properties commented: “We have a proud track-record of developing beyond our fence line, and benefiting the communities in which we operate. The newly constructed Hazeldean Boulevard is an important link between Mamelodi and Silver Lakes that will take significant pressure off Silver Lakes drive.
“I’m proud to hand over this important piece of infrastructure to the City of Tshwane today, as part of our ongoing commitment in terms of the Special Infrastructure Project works Gazetted by Government some time ago.”
Cilliers Brink, executive mayor of Tshwane said: “As government we’re in a constant partnership with the private sector. We’re simply not going to be able to build the infrastructure to generate the electricity, without very direct involvement of the private sector, and without creating the mechanisms that gives the private sector and investors some measure of assurance that their money will be well spend.
“This road is to the benefit of the City and the people, it will relieve a great deal of congestion. I wish to thank our partners in the private sector for their contribution to our shared infrastructure.”
Hazeldean Boulevard spans 3km and includes an underpass at the N4 highway, linking Ridge Road in the Hazeldean Precinct with Lagoon Drive in Riverwalk, providing Hazeldean residents with a northern exit point to Bronkhorstspruit Road, and Riverwalk commuters with a southern exit point to Lynnwood Road.
Approximately 658 direct and indirect job opportunities were created.
The R94m new road forms part of bulk infrastructure to the value of R415m that is currently being implemented by Balwin in the Tshwane node.
The total employment impact of these bulk infrastructure projects is estimated to be R718m and will create approximately 2 009 direct and indirect job opportunities.
Pretoria News