The M2 Highway to re-open next month

The city of Johannesburg executive mayor Herman Mashaba announced on Thursday 17 October that the repair work on the closed section of the M2 Highway will be completed on Wednesday, 30 October as planned.

Mashaba said a ceremony will be held to mark the occasion, at which point an operational plan will be announced and rolled out over the weekend to ensure that the motorway is fully operational and open to motorists on Monday, 4 November.

The work on the M2 was started by the Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) on August last year. The agency started the R58-million emergency repairs of the motorway after an assessment revealed that the structural integrity of the concrete elements was severely reduced. This caused a major inconvenience to businesses and residents alike.

“We had to take the decision to shut down the M2 in order to protect the lives of our residents. I stood on that bridge, I felt the vibrations, and I saw first-hand the cracks in the supporting structures. There is no doubt that this was a life-saving and very necessary decision,” said Mashaba.

He said he was proud to announce that they have kept to their commitment of reopening the bridge at the end of October. “The condition of roads across the City of Johannesburg have been a matter of concern to me, not only do they need to be safe for public use, they are integral to connecting our residents who commute daily.

“The M2 is one of the main motorways which link N3 and M1 with the city and the western parts of Johannesburg.”

Mashaba said if the budget for rehabilitation was not carried out soon and the section of the bridge collapsed, the M2 motorway would have been closed to traffic and the congestion on roads in and around the inner city would have dramatically increased. “With over 900 bridges and only six per cent of them in good condition, it is no wonder that they are crumbling to the point of requiring emergency repairs.”

He said that it was why the multi-party government has shifted the budget towards increased repairs and maintenance across the City. “When we took over this administration in 2016, we discovered a shocking R170-billion infrastructure backlog which includes our road network. Furthermore, at that time, the City only spent around 2 per cent of the value of our fixed assets on repairs and maintenance when National Treasury stipulates this to be at around 8 per cent annually,” he said.

He said they have been able to up spending to over four per cent and will continue to work to increase the percentage to bring changes to residents.

Details: City of Johannesburg 011 407 7375

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https://northeasterntribune.co.za/204967/potholes-repaired-for-safer-roads/