The City of Johannesburg is to spend more than R30 million over the next eight months to upgrade the M2 West Highway-Main Reef Road and link extensions in a new move designed to alleviate traffic congestion, improve service delivery and enhance access to the Johannesburg CBD.
That was the message from member of the Johannesburg Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Transport, Nonhlanhla Makhuba, who said the M2 West Highway-Main Reef Road formed a critical part of the city’s roads network.
The multimillion-rand project will be overseen and managed by the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) and construction is expected to be completed by 15 December 2017.
Makhuba said that through an integrated transport system and an effective roads network, the city would be able to achieve its 5% economic growth target by 2021.
Mpho Kau, JRA head of infrastructure development, said off-peak and peak hour traffic on the Main Reef Road had negatively affected the efficient delivery of services and goods.
He said the upgrading would entail road widening between Treu Road-Park Drive and Crownwood Road and the construction of a dedicated new lane from Church Street to the M1-M2 freeway.
The work includes traffic signal optimisation from Production Road and Dorado Avenue intersection to Treu Road-Park Drive.
The project will also include traffic accommodation, relocation of services, storm water, roadworks, road signs and markings, training and the upgrading of traffic signals.
JRA managing director, Dr Sean Phillips, said construction work would be carried out between 7pm and 5am to fast-track planned upgrades with minimal impact on road users. “We plead with road users to be patient during construction,” he concluded.
