After 40 Years, Gauteng Finally Starts Building the K60, A Road That Could Change the North Forever

For four decades, the K60 has lived somewhere between a promise and a myth, a road spoken about more often than it has ever been seen. But that long wait is finally coming to an end. Construction has officially begun on the long-delayed 5km stretch that will connect Maxwell Drive in Sunninghill to Allandale Road in Midrand.

For residents who’ve spent their mornings trapped on Rivonia Road or crawling toward Waterfall City during peak hour, the news feels like a breath of fresh Gauteng air.

A Road That Outlasted Generations of Planning

The K60 was first envisioned in the 1980s back when Sandton wasn’t yet a global financial hub, Midrand was mostly open land, and Waterfall City existed only on paper. For years, it became the infrastructure version of “coming soon”: endlessly referenced in development plans, environmental studies and community meetings, yet stalled by bureaucracy, land issues and shifting priorities.

Now, the province has broken ground, marking what officials say is a turning point in fixing mobility across the northern transport corridor.

What the New K60 Will Actually Do

According to the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport, the K60 is designed as a single-carriageway provincial route linking Rivonia Road to Allandale. But its real value lies in what that connection unlocks:

• Faster access between Regions A and E

• Better links to national routes

• Relief for the Old Pretoria Road (which many Joburgers jokingly call “the Old Pretorian Crawl”)

• Smoother travel between Sunninghill, Waterfall, Paulshof, Klipfontein View and Ivory Park

Developers, ward councillors and residents have all welcomed the project cautiously, of course, because no Gautenger trusts a construction site until the tar is actually down.

Local Leadership: ‘The Upside Here Is Overwhelming’

The CEO of Waterfall Management Company summed up the local mood neatly:
“It will reduce travel time to OR Tambo Airport… and open more opportunities for future development.”

Waterfall City has grown into an economic powerhouse over the past decade, but many of its access roads were never built to support the scale of business and housing now surrounding it. A functional K60 changes that and positions Waterfall as a more seamless hub between Sandton and Midrand.

Ward 132 councillor Annette Deppe agrees. She says the project will finally “unlock mobility” between communities that have felt artificially separated by congestion and bad planning.

And yes property values in the area are expected to rise. Northerners know the formula by heart: better access = better prices.

Construction Comes With Disruptions, But Residents Are Prepared

Nobody in Gauteng is naïve about roadworks. Deppe warns that noise, traffic delays and challenges where the road crosses the N1 and Jukskei River are unavoidable. Still, the province says it is taking steps to avoid the usual pitfalls:

• appointing a community liaison officer

• strengthening compliance

• partnering with law enforcement

• improving the recruitment of local labour

• ensuring transparent communication with residents

For a province familiar with stalled or abandoned projects, residents say these measures are overdue and necessary.

Two Years Until Completion, If the Weather Plays Along

The department estimates the project will take about 24 months to complete. Utility relocation and rainy summers could extend that timeline, but officials insist the K60 is now a firm provincial priority.

In its briefing to residents, the department put it plainly:
“The K60 represents the province’s commitment to improving mobility and economic access for all residents.”

It’s a bold promise but after 40 years, Joburgers will take bold over silent any day.

Why This Road Matters More Than Most People Realise

The K60 isn’t just a transport shortcut. It is a rare example of infrastructure catching up to development, rather than lagging behind it.

It will:

• support economic growth in Waterfall and Midrand

• ease pressure on the N1 and surrounding roads

• improve access to schools, hospitals and business nodes

• help integrate communities historically separated by poor planning

In a province where mobility can dictate opportunity, the K60 has the potential to shift daily life in meaningful ways.

And perhaps most importantly:
After 40 long years, residents can finally see bulldozers where there were once only blueprints.

{Source: The Citizen}

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