Johannesburg executive mayor Herman Mashaba officially launched October Transport Month today (Tuesday) by reopening the Double-Decker, Oxford and Federation Bridges on the M1 freeway.
Speaking at the launch, Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Ismail Vadi, noted that three lanes on both sides of the M1 would be opened to traffic shortly, helping to ease congestion on the road.
He added that he was “deeply disappointed” by the damage being done to Gauteng’s road network by overloaded freight vehicles and community protesters, pointing out that damage to road infrastructure cost the province millions to repair.
The structural rehabilitation project of the bridges was launched in 2015 and initially scheduled for completion in 2016, however complications resulted in the extension of the construction works.
The bridge rehabilitation project together with the M1 Double Decker Rehabilitation project is estimated at R210 million and is the largest construction project carried out by the Johannesburg Roads Agency to date.
Mashaba was joined by Gauteng premier David Makhura and MMC for Transport Nonhlanhla Makhuba.
