These Johannesburg northern business districts and suburbs have literally been cut off from the rest of Johannesburg by the ongoing massive road construction taking place.
All the major roads leading to the besieged Johannesburg north are simultaneously under construction rendering the area inaccessible. Joburg Road Agency is upgrading 50 different roads in Bryanston, Fourways and Sandton alone. This was revealed by the road agency during an exclusive interview with Fourways Review recently. This number excludes road construction by the Provincial Department of Roads and Transport. Spokesman for the department, Isaac Dhludhlu is still to provide this paper with a list of provincial roads under construction.
“We can’t travel to work smoothly anymore, it takes me two hours to drive a distance of 8km because of massive road renovations. Some lanes of the busy Rivonia Road are forever closed,” complained one motorist, Clayton Madonsela.
Another commuter, Mpho Siduma, said it would be quicker for him to walk to work. “I stay in Paulshof but work in Woodmead and I would rather walk to work than jump in a taxi,” said Siduma.
Most of the provincial roads criss-crossing Johannesburg north are under construction, and road closures are now a common feature in the area. A Fourways Review check revealed that the busiest road, William Nicol Drive, is repeatedly being subjected to construction at numerous points up to Diepsloot. Cedar Road towards Steyn City is under the wheels of graders. The R511 has been under construction for years and there are no signs that the renovations are about to be completed any time soon. Hendrik Potgieter Road towards Diepsloot is also experiencing massive and recurring renovations. The tale is the same at Witkoppen Road where massive construction is also underway, and the intersection with Umhlanga Road in Paulshof is also under wheel-barrows and shovels.
Johannesburg Road Agency spokesperson Bertha Peters-Scheepers said the massive road constructions were merely a reflection of the City’s commitment to invest in improving the road network of the City.
She revealed that the majority of their road construction was mostly limited to road resurfacing, adding that the provincial government was doing the major chopping up and digging of the roads in the area. She revealed that their renovations are underway in Bryanston, Linden and Kya Sands as well as Katherine Street, Maude Street, Fifth Street, Rivonia and Fredman streets in Sandton.
She added that the City of Johannesburg has the duty of managing a 13 428km road network.
“These programmes form part of the JRA’s structured response to managing Joburg’s 13 428km road network, including associated storm water and road furniture which has deteriorated over the years, largely due to increased traffic, ageing and vandalism,” said Peters-Scheepers.
She however failed to shed light over the rationale on the upgrading the roads instantaneously.
She however identified 50 roads being worked on in different areas. Below are some of the roads, in Bryanston and Paulshof, that are currently crawling with graders: Cambridge, Mount Street, Wilton Avenue, Point, Hans Crescent, Devonshire, Albatross, Flamink, Fisant, Plover, Jacana, Struben, Brooke Avenue and many more.
Peters-Scheepers also announced that there will be more road closures in Sunninghill of the four streets Nanyuki, Shakespeare, Malindi and Main, until the end of July.
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