Zion Christian Church interchange expected to ease traffic during annual Limpopo pilgrimage

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22-08-2022
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News 24
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A multimillion-rand ZCC road interchange will be constructed to ease high traffic volumes and accidents during pilgrimages.

A memorandum of understanding between Sanral and RAL was signed in Polokwane on Friday.

Limpopo Premier Stan Mathabatha says the project will boost the economy and uplift the standard of living in the province.

A memorandum of understanding has been signed for the construction of the multimillion-rand St Engenas Zion Christian Church (ZCC) road interchange, which is expected to ease traffic during the annual pilgrimage to Moria in Limpopo.

More than a million people descend on the church's headquarters – known as the Holy City of Moria – by bus, private car and minibus, causing huge traffic congestion every Easter.

The multimillion-rand interchange is to be constructed through a joint partnership between the SA National Road Agency (Sanral) and Road Agency Limpopo (RAL), which signed the memorandum of understanding in Polokwane on Friday.

The interchange will be built along the R71 road that connects Polokwane and Tzaneen, via Moria.

It comes a few years after the completion of the Polokwane ring road, a by-pass road which had helped to ease traffic congestion in the city.

At the ceremony, ZCC representative Piet Lekganyane described the initiative as a "critical milestone".

He said:

We are pleased that the deliberations among the stakeholders since 2019 have led to this critical milestone being reached. Most importantly, the construction of the interchange will facilitate the safe movement of traffic.

"We have witnessed in the past many road accidents and congestion, especially during the pilgrimages, as a result of high traffic volumes," Lekganyane said.

Limpopo Premier Stan Mathabatha said he believed the project would boost economic growth, create jobs and improve the living conditions of the people of the province.

"We know that this is one of the busiest routes in the province. The road also connects Polokwane and the town of Tzaneen, and leads to the Kruger National Park, which is the biggest park in the SADC region," Mathabatha said.