News Archive June 2010 Work speeds ahead on roll out
| Work speeds ahead on roll out |
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| Tuesday, 08 June 2010 |
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REA Vaya infrastructure roll out continues apace, with the latest construction under way along Perth and Commando roads in Coronationville expected to be completed by the end of September. 
Construction challenges
HIGH VOLUMESAccording to Nkosinathi Manzana, the senior development manager at the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA), the Rea Vaya infrastructure roll out is being undertaken under challenging conditions, with Fuel Road in Coronationville being particularly difficult because of the volume of vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
"This fact is not due to construction but it is accepted that construction, coupled with driver behaviour has increased the journey time and increased the level of risk," he points out. The road was recently highlighted after an article appeared in The Star newspaper of 13 May under the heading "Roadworks on accident hotspot till December".
According to the article, a number of accidents have occurred since construction began and some blame is apportioned to poor management by construction teams, and a lack of signage and pedestrian crossings. ROAD BEHAVIOURManzana believes part of the problem is non-adherence to road safety precautions by pedestrians and motorists alike, theft and vandalism of road signs and intimidation of traffic officers. The speed limit is 40 kilometres an hour in this section.The JDA has appointed a principal contractor to undertake the construction project. In addition, it has appointed professionals to supervise and manage the work, including a project manager, a full-time resident engineer on site, an environmental control officer and occupational health and safety consultants, he adds. Traffic pointsmen are also deployed at key intersections at peak times. The principal contractor has confirmed that only minor incidents have taken place and these incidents may have happened at night because of excessive speeding. Furthermore, the contractor has no knowledge of any serious accidents having happened in this area as purported in the article, Manzana confirms. Construction work on the westbound lanes along Harmony Road and Price Road will be completed by the end of September, and not December as indicated in the article. However, unusually high rainfall at the onset of autumn has caused major delays and damage to the road-layer work. Despite these challenges, the eastbound lanes are already complete and traffic is using them. "The public is urged to be patient during construction and to exercise caution," Manzana emphasizes, adding that members of the public can contact him on should there be further concerns. Related stories: |
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