R76 road project to change lives

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27-01-2025
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Bloemfontein Courant
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The R76 between Steynsrus and Kroonstad in the Moqhaka Local Municipality is one of the roads that has been selected for rehabilitation that will commence this month.

The MEC for Community Safety, Roads and Transport, Jabu Mbalula, and Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae visited Matlwangtlwang, near Steynsrus, to inform the community that the project is set to start during the month.

According to the Free State Provincial Government, this is “in line with government’s policy of the empowerment of businesses, particularly the previously disadvantaged, local businesses, in the form of sub-contractors, also stand to benefit from the R29 million which has been set aside.”

The project is expected to take 18 months to complete and will employ nearly 400 locals.

“We heard you when you spoke to us about the state of the R76 road. We also heard you when you appealed to us that when the project begins, locals must be prioritised,” the premier said.

She also appealed to the community to condemn criminality that aims to ‘hijack’ the project.

“Our local businesses will grow from working on the project and so will the rest of the locals who will make a living by working on the project,” she added.

In 2024, Mbalula noted that a considerable amount of money had been set aside towards the rehabilitation of roads which have deteriorated over time. The project on the R76 is in line with this allocation of funds as per the department’s budget.

“A total budget of R1,2 billion is planned for special maintenance projects that are intended to address the road assets that are deteriorating and failing prematurely because of increased freight on our surfaced roads… An additional budget of R134 million is set aside for new projects that are expected to commence in the third and fourth quarters of the 2024/25 financial year.”