The Gauteng Freeway Improvement Plan is likely to dramatically cut travelling time between Pretoria and Johannesburg and may even go some way towards reducing the time spent on highways linking the East Rand with the West Rand.
The entrance to Lanseria Corporate Estate. Malibongwe Drive is soon to be upgraded to cope with higher traffic volumes in the area.
But this plan comes at a price because 560 km of freeways will be toll roads, placing additional financial burdens on truck operators, logistics companies and ordinary commuters.
While the South African National Roads Agency Limited says that the average toll fees are expected to amount to about R350 a month for most motorists (after the frequent-use discounts) the reality is that the tolls could be considerably higher than that for truck operators.
Sanral says the immediate benefits for all road users – once the highways have been upgraded – will be reduced travel times, less wear-and-tear on vehicles and lower fuel costs.
Jurgen Erhart, head of Efcon Capital and an industrial property developer claims that the untolled routes around Gauteng are going to be a more popular alternative for logistics companies that use the roads.
He claims that this is one of the reasons that more and more logistics companies are expressing an interest in acquiring warehousing and industrial space that is not adjacent to the tolled highways.
At this stage it seems the N14, between Pretoria in the north and Krugersdorp in the west is unlikely to be tolled prompting what Erhart claims is renewed interest in industrial property along the route.
His company is involved in developing the 90 hectare Lanseria Corporate Estate, adjacent to the Lanseria Airport and he says the industrial park will provide easy access to Fourways, Randburg, Erasmia and even Hartbeespoort, Rustenburg and Brits.
Erhart says that Malibongwe drive, that leads through Randburg and Strydom Park towards Northcliff is undergoing a major revamp costing R375-million and 5,7 km of new dual carriageway is being added to the R512, extending it to Lanseria.
The road-upgrading programme is mainly aimed at alleviating current and future traffic congestion from Cosmo City, a major affordable housing development on the western side of Malibongwe Drive.
For more information about Lanseria Corporate Estate, contact Simon Mills on 083 357 7592
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