The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) has said that the next stage of upgrades for the M1 highway and bridges will commence in early May.
The agency has begun construction work on the double-decker section of the M1 highway leading to Johannesburg south and the Oxford and Federation Roads bridges which will lead to traffic diversion for the next 12 months.
Acting managing director of the JRA, Mpho Kau said road users have responded positively to the entity’s calls for patience and courtesy in areas where construction has occurred.
“They are experiencing inevitable delays in their journeys because of the closure of lanes on the northbound carriageway, carrying traffic from Soweto and the M2. However, Johannesburg road users are adapting well to the temporary changing road conditions and are starting to use alternative routes to travel between destinations in the city,” said Kau.
The closure of lanes on the southbound carriageway, carrying traffic from Midrand, will start in early May. At that stage, the carriageway will be reduced to two lanes between the Killarney and St Andrews off-ramps.
Kau said the R210-million bridge rehabilitation project is proceeding very well. The casting of the concrete footing for the new median barrier has started and all drainage within the median is already installed.
The agency’s website hosts a great deal of information regarding construction and alternative routes for commuters. Most of this information is also available on Twitter, @MyJRA; Facebook, Johannesburg Roads Agency; or on the JRA Find & Fix mobile app.
Kau concluded that the bridge rehabilitation upgrade is the largest construction project ever managed by the organisation, and the infrastructure being built now will benefit the City of Johannesburg.
Details: www.jra.org.za
