Shoprite in Matola

The South African company Trans African Concessions (TRAC), which operates the Maputo-South Africa motorway, is planning to begin roadworks to widen the N4 from four to six lanes later this year.The work will take place between junctions 19 and 20 – the stretch between Shoprite in Matola, past the Maputo tollgate and on to the Jose Macamo General Hospital. This covers a distance of 13 kilometres. The expansion will cost 28.5 million US dollars and take two years to complete.The details of the expansion were revealed by TRAC representative Fenias Mazive at a press conference in Maputo. He explained that the work involves the constructing a new slow lane, enlarging bridges, laying new pavements, and replacing street lighting. However, the work is conditional upon the resettlement of people living in 56 houses and the removal of 16 obstacles including bars, yards, and advertising boards.Mazive revealed that traffic along the road has reduced by 5.8 per cent to 48,000 cars per day. He also complained about the damage caused to the road by overweight vehicles, blaming this on the weak inspection regime.The N4 opened just under twenty years ago. It runs from Maputo to the border crossing at Lebombo/Ressano Garcia, then continuing on to Pretoria.