Work that is being done on what is widely considered to be the “worst” road in the east of Pretoria is not part of the R175-million Boeing/Goede Hoop roads upgrade announced last year.
This is according to ward councillor Daryl Johnston, who said the work that was being done was in fact simply “temporary patch work”.
Last year, the provincial government allocated R175-million to upgrade the Boeing/Goede Hoop Road.
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Work was supposed to kick off in August last year, but is yet to start due to alleged tender irregularities.
Johnston said the provincial government was trying to do “damage control” by filling up some of the potholes on the road while investigations were being carried out.
He blamed the government for failing to properly maintain the road over the years and leaving it to deteriorate.
“If the road was not left [unattended] for so many years and proper maintenance had been done, none of the patch work would have to be done,” he said.
“What is happening on the road now is definitely not an upgrade.”
Johnston said the planned upgrade would involve widening the road, resurfacing as well painting of road markings.
He said the cost to the temporary patch work was not yet known.
“This is a waste of taxpayers’ money because once the actual upgrades start, they will have to start the road afresh,” he said.
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The road has been plagued by potholes, years of patch work and poor road markings, making it difficult for motorists to navigate.
Provinvial MEC for roads and transport Ismail Vadi previously said the project was advertised in February 2018 and was closed in March 2018, after which “irregularities” were discovered.
It was suspected that the winning bidder forged documents which warranted an investigation by the national treasury, leading to delayed works.
On 25 March, DA picketers led by Gauteng premier candidate Solly Msimanga took to the streets demanding that the road be fixed as a matter of urgency.
Msimanga said the investigation could have been avoided, had the department followed “proper and transparent procurement processes”.
He accused the provincial government of wasting money by patching up the road surface, which only lasted for months.
“This department lacks the political will to lead and is incapable of delivering adequate and proper roads to Gauteng residents,” he said.
Motorists have also been complaining about poor lighting, a lack of traffic calming measures and poor road markings on the road.
Boeing Road is one of the many roads in the east of Pretoria that are a headache to motorists.
The R50 Delmas Road was found to be dangerous after an inspection by Tshwane officials two years ago. It has been the scene of numerous accidents due to speeding and poor visibility.
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The team of inspectors highlighted that traffic calming measures were necessary for several other roads in the east.
These included Garsfontein Road, Fisant Street, De Villebois Mareuil Drive and Atterbury Road.
Vadi said upgrades to Boeing Road would only start once the investigation has been concluded.
The specific date was unknown.
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