R5.8bn to repair Jo'burg Roads

30 September 2014

The City of Johannesburg has admitted that it will cost at least R5.8 billion to repair the city's roads.

The DA believes this number may be bigger, as many of the city's "poor" and "very poor" roads may need to be replaced entirely. At least 27% of Johannesburg's roads are ranked "poor" or "very poor" by the city's own admission.

These figures were revealed by the Johannesburg Roads Agency in the fourth quarter report to the Transport Section 79 committee on the state of the city's 10 552km paved road network.

The report revealed that 34% of the city's roads are considered "Very Good" , 18% "Good", 21% "Fair", 21% "Poor" and 6% "Very Poor". These figures will change on an annual basis, as the road network continues to age.

It costs far less to maintain a road than to build one, and the City of Johannesburg's failure to maintain roads is the reason that it now faces this monumental repair backlog.

The new roads will cost the people of Johannesburg R3m per km.

Where the DA governs, roads are maintained while they are still "Good" or "Fair" so as to prevent their reaching a poor or very poor condition.

The DA administration is clearly what the City of Johannesburg needs.

Statement issued by DA Councillor Tyrell Meyers, Spokesperson on Roads in the City of Johannesburg Municipality, September 30 2014

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