N1 Freeway and Witkoppen Road in Paulshof area to close temporarily on November 7

Part of Witkoppen Road in the Paulshof area and the N1 Freeway (North and South) from Fourways to Rivonia will be closed between 8am and 4pm tomorrow, November 7.

Witkoppen Road will be closed temporarily between Umhlanga Avenue/Cambridge Road and Estelle Road in Paulshof. The N1 Freeway will be closed temporarily between the William Nicol Drive and Rivonia Road offramps.

This is so Eskom can replace the optical ground wire and earth wire on the Craighall Minerva 275kV high-voltage transmission overhead powerline that crosses the N1 Freeway and Witkoppen Road.

According to a statement issued by Eskom, the SA National Roads Agency (Sanral) as well as the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport have granted permission for the road closures. The power entity apologised for any inconvenience caused by the temporary road closures and further called for residents’ patience during the works.

According to the statement, the plan is for traffic to be stopped completely for 15 minutes at the start of each phase for the joint of the new and old optical ground wire to be pulled across the N1 safely. Thereafter, traffic will be allowed to flow in one lane for the remainder of the stringing process – which should take about two-and-a-half hours. “This process will be repeated for the stringing of the earth wire,” read the statement.

Eskom said the optical ground wire and earth wire would be replaced sequentially. On Witkoppen Road between Umhlanga Avenue and Estelle Road in Paulshof, Eskom said, “Traffic will be allowed to flow, with one lane open, for the duration of the optical ground wire which is estimated to last for approximately two-and-a-half hours. The process will be repeated for the stringing of the earth wire.”

Read the full statement here:

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