Is there a light at the end of South Road?

The word ‘postponement’ has become synonymous with ‘South Road’ to any resident or motorist who has been anxiously waiting for construction to be completed.

The road was initially barricaded in October 2017 due to sinkhole damage, and the work to repair the damage only began in June 2019 due to all the behind-the-scenes work that needed to be conducted.

The initial turnaround time for the project was less than one year, but the date has frequently been postponed. Most recently, users of the road were notified that its construction would be finished by 29 April; however, that Thursday has come and gone with no word on why the road had not been reopened yet.

The Johannesburg Road Agency’s (JRA’s) Head of Infrastructure, Siyabonga Genu, has advised that the many issues that have arisen, especially since the start of 2020 have come with more of a delay than initially planned for. The national coronavirus lockdown understandably halted the construction for a short period, but the effects it had on the steel industry also reportedly led to a supply shortage, hampering the progress even more. According to Genu, the issues experienced because of the pandemic delayed the bridge’s completion by approximately five months.

Genu explained further that when work on the bridge resumed after the lockdown, a poor performance issue with the project engineer meant that the position needed to be reassigned, adding more time to the proposed completion.

In a more positive light, Genu has confirmed that the project is back on track. With everything running smoothly now, the bridge is expected to be completed by the end of June.