Johannesburg is heavily dependent upon freeways for transport around the city due to its location 1,500 metres above
sea level, far from the coast or any major bodies of water. There are 10 freeways in the
Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Area: the
N1,
N3,
N12,
N14,
N17,
R21,
R24,
R59,
M1 and
M2. In addition, three new freeways are planned: the G5, G9 and G14.[citation needed] Freeways are sometimes called
highways or
motorways colloquially.
The N1 (Ben Schoeman Highway) between Johannesburg and Pretoria is now becoming severely overloaded. Reports suggest that the road carries 180,000 vehicles a day between the two cities.[when?][2] The road is heavily congested as traffic enters
Johannesburg in the mornings and leaves at night, as many people work in
Johannesburg but live in
Pretoria. As a result, the Gauteng Provincial Government has put in motion plans to alleviate heavy traffic congestion, which is likely to worsen. One plan that was partially completed before
South Africa hosted the
2010 FIFA World Cup is the
Gautrain: a rapid
rail system with a north–south line between Johannesburg and Pretoria, and an east–west line between OR Tambo International Airport and
Sandton. The east–west line opened in June 2010, just before the World Cup.[2]
The north–south line opened from Pretoria to
Rosebank in August 2011; after delays caused by excessive water seepage in a major tunnel, the Rosebank–Johannesburg section opened in July 2012.
Planned Freeways
The Star and Engineering News report that three new freeways have been planned for Johannesburg:[citation needed]
The PWV9, linking the northern part of Johannesburg with the western part of Pretoria, aligned along the existing R80 axis known as the Mabopane Freeway. It will run parallel to the N1 and will intersect with the N14.[citation needed]
The PWV5, which will link the R21 with the new PWV9, crossing the N1 at the Olifantsfontein interchange.[citation needed]
In addition, there were plans afoot to extend the N17 from its end in
Johannesburg South, to
Krugersdorp, which would have allowed motorists to traverse the metropolitan area in under an hour in free-flowing traffic.[3]
References
^"Roads". www.joburg.org.za. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
Johannesburg is heavily dependent upon freeways for transport around the city due to its location 1,500 metres above
sea level, far from the coast or any major bodies of water. There are 10 freeways in the
Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Area: the
N1,
N3,
N12,
N14,
N17,
R21,
R24,
R59,
M1 and
M2. In addition, three new freeways are planned: the G5, G9 and G14.[citation needed] Freeways are sometimes called
highways or
motorways colloquially.
The N1 (Ben Schoeman Highway) between Johannesburg and Pretoria is now becoming severely overloaded. Reports suggest that the road carries 180,000 vehicles a day between the two cities.[when?][2] The road is heavily congested as traffic enters
Johannesburg in the mornings and leaves at night, as many people work in
Johannesburg but live in
Pretoria. As a result, the Gauteng Provincial Government has put in motion plans to alleviate heavy traffic congestion, which is likely to worsen. One plan that was partially completed before
South Africa hosted the
2010 FIFA World Cup is the
Gautrain: a rapid
rail system with a north–south line between Johannesburg and Pretoria, and an east–west line between OR Tambo International Airport and
Sandton. The east–west line opened in June 2010, just before the World Cup.[2]
The north–south line opened from Pretoria to
Rosebank in August 2011; after delays caused by excessive water seepage in a major tunnel, the Rosebank–Johannesburg section opened in July 2012.
Planned Freeways
The Star and Engineering News report that three new freeways have been planned for Johannesburg:[citation needed]
The PWV9, linking the northern part of Johannesburg with the western part of Pretoria, aligned along the existing R80 axis known as the Mabopane Freeway. It will run parallel to the N1 and will intersect with the N14.[citation needed]
The PWV5, which will link the R21 with the new PWV9, crossing the N1 at the Olifantsfontein interchange.[citation needed]
In addition, there were plans afoot to extend the N17 from its end in
Johannesburg South, to
Krugersdorp, which would have allowed motorists to traverse the metropolitan area in under an hour in free-flowing traffic.[3]
References
^"Roads". www.joburg.org.za. Retrieved 24 February 2020.