Highway nightmare ahead

Solutions sought for closed stretch

More than 150 Johannesburg metro police officers and traffic wardens have been deployed to deal with traffic around 10 M2 highway on-ramps and several intersections.

This comes after the decision to close a 4km stretch of the highway between Kazerne and the Crown interchanges kicks in today. Authorities are expecting huge traffic backlogs and gridlock around several interchanges as well as alternate routes leading in and out of the city centre.

The section of the highway is used by 12,000 vehicles in both directions during peak hours daily, according to the Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA). The City of Johannesburg said it was forced to close the highway after engineers declared parts of the M2 bridge a deathtrap for motorists. This was as result of decks on the bridge along the double decker section shifting and allowing rain water tp seep through to the foundation of the bridge. Yesterday head of infrastructure at JRA Siyabonga Gebu said the highway would be closed with steel barricades that will temporarily secure the area while the bridge was being repaired.

Gebu said the eight-month closure would focus on replacing the pillars and reconstructing the decks that had sunk into the columns which act as the core support of the pillars holding up the bridge. He said 70 traffic wardens and more than 80 metro police officers would be deployed in anticipation of chaos in the city from today. He said the officers would also ensure safety with regard to smash and grabs, hijackings and other robberies targeting motorists. “We urge everyone to exercise caution and JRA will be monitoring all travel patterns and prioritise the busiest intersections,” he said.

“We have consulted with social development to assist in moving the homeless people [at] the bridge to alternative shelters.”

He urged motorists to be patient, start looking for alternative routes to bypass the closed off section of the M2 and to leave home earlier. Johannesburg Taxi Association spokesperson Gcina Mabizela said lack of communication on the road closure will cause a lot of confusion.

We urge people to exercise caution

/ SANDILE NDLOVU Traffic chaos looming in Jozi as the busy stretch of the M2 freeway which carries 24 000 cars both ways during peak hours closes today.

/SANDILE NDLOVU Johannesburg’s major thoroughfare, the M2 highway, will be closed from today until October for a major refurbishment project.