The official JRA website currently displays a banner on every page that states “The Johannesburg Roads Agency is undertaking essential maintenance on the freeway and bridges between Killarney and the Crown Interchange”.
This forms part of the agency’s planned upgrade to the province’s roads; chief among these plans is the M1 in Johannesburg, which will have several on-and-off-ramps closed so that construction crews can perform upgrades on the highway itself, as well as several bridges that cross it.
The upgrades form part of the “essential maintenance” of the highway, meant to help it handle the increased number of cars that use it every day. In case you’re wondering, the JRA estimates that the current number is between 8 000 to 10 000 cars per hour.
Of course, traffic is going to be severely impacted by the construction (as if it’s not bad enough already), and the JRA has told the public via a press statement that they have mapped out several alternate routes, and will tweak the timing of the traffic lights along those routes to keep the traffic flowing.
The official press statement says “Construction has already begun and will be completed in 2017. From 27 February 2016, you should expect lane restrictions and closures. This will have a significant impact on travel time, if you use the M1 Freeway.”
To help ease the inevitable congestion, the JRA has encouraged motorists to plan ahead or use public transport.
Fan-flipping-tastic.
[Source & Image – JRA]
