By Christine Tsotetsi in Johannesburg .
South Africa. (News Of The South)- An improvement of roads in the North West province of South Africa by the Bakwena Platinum Corridor Concessionaire, is continuing to receive thumbs up from both business and the community.
A capital injection of R2.4 Billion was raised for the project four years ago, with more road improvements of a 385 kilometre project currently underway. That includes 95 km of the N1, from Pretoria to Bela Bela.
Around 170 000 trucks travelling to and from Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, mining areas around Rusternburg and Brits use various toll plazas built by the Bakwena.
During a two-day media tour to some of the projects developed by Bakwena, the company’s commercial manager Liam Clarke said the 30 year contract with the South African National Roads Agency Limited, SANRAL has seen many toll roads expanded. Clarke says to date more than 50,000 road users hold Bakwena e-tags, an initiative which started in 2002.
Rehabilitation of more roads is also expected during the course of 2015. The N1 North will see the rehabilitation of the section of Pienaars River up to the Bela Bela interchange in June this year and design work on the N4 upgrade between Buffelspoort interchange and the Helen Joseph Bridge in Rustenburg has also begun.
Communities have also benefited, with jobs created in some of the projects Bakwena is partnering with various institutions. Hospitals and schools have also benefited through funding and refurbishment. In one hospital in Swartruggens, a cancer and lung disease centre were equipped with various machines to help treat patients suffering from terminal illnesses.
Many jobs for the locals have also been created through various projects. Busyness development for entrepreneurs and small, medium and micro enterprises, SMMEs with about 15 percent of the work that still needs to be completed.
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