Name and Location
Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP), South Africa.

Client
The project is managed by State-owned company South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral).

Project Description
The GFIP is a long-term freeway upgrade and expansion project, which entails the upgrade and construction of about 561 km of freeways in Gauteng.

Value
The Department of Transport (DoT), through Sanral, has invested more than R21-billion in the first phase of the project.

Duration
Despite being delayed by a shortage of bitumen and adverse weather in 2011, Phase 1 of the project was substantially completed by the end of 2011.

Latest Developments
The National Assembly has approved legislation paving the way for the GFIP to begin tolling. The measure was approved by 193 votes to 98 in a division, with two abstentions.

The Bill now goes to the National Council of Provinces for concurrence.

Introducing debate on the Transport Laws and Related Matters Amendment Bill, Transport Minister Ben Martins said the Bill was essential to enable "the appropriate implementation of the e-tolling system".
These measures were required to implement the GFIP and facilitate the provision of public transport and other projects in Gauteng, he said.

Martins rejected calls for e-tolling to be scrapped, saying the noncollection of tolls might impact negatively on the ability of the Sanral to raise capital for infrastructure-development projects.

Inability to collect revenue would also damage the credit reputation of Sanral among investors and could negatively affect Sanral and government's international ratings, the Minister said.

The Bill has been strongly opposed by most opposition parties, with the Democratic Alliance's (DA’s) Ian Ollis calling it "the world's most expensive toll collection system".

According to the DA's calculations, it could cost up to R11-billion over eight years to operate.

Ollis says there are many other efficient funding models available, such as a fuel levy of 10 cents to 14 cents a litre, which would cover all the costs of the GFIP.

An application by the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) to scrap e-tolling was dismissed in December by the High Court in Pretoria.

The court granted Outa leave, on January 25, to take the matter to the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein.

A date for the appeals court hearing has yet to be set.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Basil Read Interchange [I/C] (improvements on the N1 section); Siyavaya joint venture (JV), comprising Group 5, Power Construction, Liviero, Umso Construction and Bophelong Construction (work package A and E); GFI Contractors JV, comprising Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon (WBHO), Sanyati Construction, Rainbow Construction, Glash Construction, Munasi Civil Contractors and Esorfranki Civils, formerly Patula Construction (work package B); GLMB JV, comprising Grinaker-LTA, a member of the Aveng group, Moseme Road Construction and Boitshoko Road Surfacing (work package C and F); Basil Read JV, comprising Roadcrete, Chavani Construction and Dipcivil, or BRCD (work package D); CMC JV, comprising CMC di Ravenna South Africa and G4 Civils (work package G); Raubex Construction (upgrade of the R21); Power Group (upgrade of the R21 section 1 and 2); Tosas (subcontractor – bituminous binders); ETC JV (multilane free-flow tolling system); Jet Demolition (demolition of Allandale I/C bridge); ARQ Consulting Engineers (design of the Lynnwood Glen pedestrian and pipe bridge); Cadcon, subcontractor of BRCD JV (manufacture of the Lynnwood Glen pedestrian and pipe bridge); Beka (luminaires); Esorfranki Civils (work package J); Goba SSI JV (Gillooly's flyover); Much Asphalt, a Murray & Roberts company (asphalt supplier) and ETC JV, comprising Traffic Management Technologies and Kapsch TrafficCom (design and operate the open-road tolling system).

On Budget and on Time?
E-tolling was suspended on April 28, 2012, pending a full review; however, the Constitutional Court has set aside the interdict preventing Sanral from tolling some of Gauteng’s highways, while the proposed e-tolling system is undergoing judicial review in the North Gauteng High Court, in Pretoria.

Contact Details for Project Information
Sanral northern region manager of toll and traffic and project manager Alex van Niekerk, tel +27 11 426 6200; or corporate communications manager Priya Pillay, tel +27 12 844 8000, fax +27 12 844 8200 or email pressoffice@nra.co.za; or project manager: communications Wanda Cloete, tel +27 12 844 8000, fax +27 12 844 8200 or email wcloete@nra.co.za.