MEC for Roads and Transport, Dr Ismail Vadi, officially opened the rehabilitated multi-million R28 (P88/1) Road in Westonaria, south of Johannesburg.

Undertaken at a cost of R300 million, the rehabilitation project is in line with Gauteng Provincial Government's commitment to providing world-class road infrastructure that facilitates access to economic opportunities and improving the lives of residents for the better.

MEC Vadi said that the single carriageway provides a bypass for road traffic from the south of Johannesburg to the N12 and the North-West Province.

"This is an important route as it supports the agricultural and mining sectors of the economy. Due to increased road usage by heavy duty trucks, particularly from the mines and farming communities in the area, the R28 road had degraded over the years," said the MEC.

He indicated that the project scope included significant road works along twenty-nine kilometres of the route; reinstating road markings and signage; replacing damaged signs and guardrails as well as clearing the road reserve and drainage structures.

 The MEC further encouraged residents to partake in the public participation process on the proposed naming and renaming of twenty provincial roads currently underway.

The project was completed in approximately thirty months and is expected to reduce travelling times and improve road safety for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.