Where the Joburg Roads Agency Plans to Spend Its 2025 Budget
The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) has been allocated a capital budget of R912.81 million for the 2025/26 financial year. This budget forms part of a broader R2.8 billion commitment over the next three years. It aims to address the city’s ageing and deteriorating road infrastructure. Although significant, it represents just over 1% of the estimated R276 billion backlog needed to fully restore and expand Johannesburg’s road network.
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Overview of the Budget Allocation
Despite the significant funding, the JRA’s budget falls far short of the total investment required to fix Johannesburg’s roads, bridges, and stormwater systems. Transport MEC Kenny Kunene highlighted the scale of the challenge, noting that:
- R90 billion is needed to expand and upgrade the road network
- R37 billion is required for bridge rehabilitation
- R144 billion is necessary for stormwater infrastructure improvements
The JRA will strategically deploy the R912 million allocated for the 2025/26 year across critical programmes. This aims to maintain and improve the city’s transport infrastructure.
Key Spending Priorities for 2025/26
The JRA has identified several core focus areas for the upcoming financial year. The city has dedicated a combined budget of approximately R550 million to these priorities. It will allocate additional funds to new road construction and gravel road upgrades.
- Road Network Upgrades and Resurfacing (R149 million)
This includes pothole repairs, patching, and resurfacing high-traffic corridors. Priority routes link townships to major economic centres to ease congestion and enhance connectivity across Johannesburg. - Stormwater Infrastructure Expansion (R189 million)
Stormwater management improvements will focus on four Soweto suburbs. They aim to address flooding and drainage issues that affect road longevity and safety. - Bridge Rehabilitation (R152 million)
Rehabilitation efforts target bridges in Soweto, Lenasia, and Roodepoort. The city maintains over 900 bridges, many of which are in poor condition and require urgent repairs to prevent collapse. - Traffic Signal Maintenance and Mobility Solutions (R60 million)
Addressing traffic signal downtime along major routes in Randburg, Sandton, Roodepoort, and Soweto is critical. This will improve traffic flow and reduce accidents. - New Road Construction and Gravel Road Upgrades
The JRA plans to invest in expanding the road network, although it has not disclosed specific amounts. They aim to upgrade gravel roads to improve accessibility in underserved areas.
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Broader Context: Infrastructure Backlog and Funding Challenges
The JRA’s three-year budget of R2.8 billion is part of the City of Johannesburg’s overall capital expenditure programme of R26.2 billion for all municipal entities. National Treasury contributes 41.8% of this budget. Loans account for 40.2%, and only 7.5% comes from the city’s revenue generation.
Johannesburg Water and City Power receive larger allocations of R5.6 billion and R4.6 billion respectively over the same period. This reflects the competing demands on the city’s finances.
JRA CEO Zweli Nyathi acknowledged the enormity of the infrastructure backlog. He assured residents that every rand allocated would be spent efficiently and effectively to make a tangible difference.
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Importance of the Investment
The planned investments are vital to:
- Improve road safety by repairing hazardous potholes and damaged surfaces
- Enhance mobility and reduce congestion on key economic routes
- Prevent infrastructure failures such as bridge collapses and flooding
- Support economic growth by improving transport connectivity across Johannesburg
The agency’s focus on township linkages and stormwater infrastructure also addresses historic inequalities in service delivery.
Infrastructure Improvements
While the Johannesburg Roads Agency’s 2025 budget provides critical resources to maintain and upgrade the city’s road infrastructure, it remains insufficient to fully address the vast backlog. The R912 million allocated for the year will be strategically spent on resurfacing, stormwater expansion, bridge rehabilitation, and traffic signal maintenance. Continued investment and efficient use of funds are essential to improve Johannesburg’s road network safety, connectivity, and resilience.
