Midrand residents have been urged to be cautious and patient during the upgrade of the R55 and Main Road intersection.
The upgrade is implemented by Balwin Property which has a new development just opposite the intersection.
Spokesperson for the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport Melitah Madiba said, “The project is being implemented by a private developer. The department has granted and approved a wayleave for implementation as per departmental standards and specifications”.
The R55 was a single lane road which experienced a high volume of traffic congestions and accidents due to the growing number of developments in the area. Ward 94 councillor David Foley said the upgrade was a much-needed intervention which will require patience from motorists as the project is anticipated to be completed late this year.
“With the recent upgrades, construction will take a while and motorists should be patient. The provincial department has been accommodating with proper signage on request.
“The biggest challenge is Main Road which needs to be upgraded all the way to the N14. That is a dangerous road and many accidents have taken place there,” he said.
Chief Executive Officer for Balwin Property, Steve Brookes, said large civil works are taking place on the R50 million road upgrade which began in July and is expected to be complete in December. He said the company is upgrading Athol Road and linking it to the R55.
“The construction is going well. The road will be a double carriageway. We have also done dual pavements and landscaping. The public is more than welcome to come and have a look at what we have done so far,” he said.
Brookes added that during the construction, local small, medium and macro entrepreneurs have been outsourced from the Midrand Local Economic Empowerment non-profit company to an excess of R9 million. “We always employ locals everywhere we do business,” he added.
On 22 May Member of Executive Committee for Roads and Transport, Ismail Vadi conducted oversight visits of construction projects along the R511, also known as William Nicol Drive. They included the R511 and R114 which is the Old Krugersdorp Road, including the Mnandi/Olifantsfontein intersection following numerous safety concerns registered by road users.
During the inspection, Vadi’s team identified a number of interventions to be undertaken in order to improve safety on the roads, particularly where construction was underway. Some of the interventions included the replacement of a stop sign on the N14 off-ramp, repainting of the road markings on the R114, closing off the illegal access from the R114, installations and repairs of guardrails and obtaining assistance from the Department of Community Safety to increase traffic law enforcement.
What do you think about the road infrastructure in the province? Talk to us by emailing our group editor, daniellap@caxton.co.za
Also check out:
https://www.citizen.co.za/midrand-reporter/197388/watch-car-engulfed-flames-n1-north-near-allandale-road-despite-calls-help/
Untarred, dark roads and infrastructure issues plague Midrand
https://www.citizen.co.za/midrand-reporter/197471/tweets-mashaba-visits-r60m-project-kaalfontein/
