Work set to start on building bus stations in Sandton

A project to install Bus Rapid Transport stations in Sandton will be launched this month by the Johannesburg Development Agency. The initiative was expected to affect traffic and thoroughfare on key routes in the city for the next 15 months. The stations would be built between Sandton Drive and Katherine Street, the agency said. The development would involve the relocation of existing services, widening roads and installing a median station building when the roadworks had been advanced. The main contractor would initially focus on relocation of services in the roads and pavements, including water, electrical and gas lines and fibre optic cables. The initial part of the project, which would take five to six months, would include widening sections of the roads. There would be designated traffic accommodation in place from the commencement of the construction and throughout site activity, the agency assured. “This is to protect and maintain a safe passage of traffic within the remaining part of the affected area, as well as pedestrian thoroughfare,” it said. The project involves the erection of the bus stations at designated intervals along the route which goes through the Wynberg, Balfour, Orange Grove and Berea areas back to the Johannesburg CBD. The new stations will have dedicated bus docking and bypass lanes in the road on either side of them and two outer, mixed lanes to maintain traffic around them. There will also be pedestrian crossing to and from the Sandton City mall. “Sandton is the economic hub of Johannesburg.

The project team intends to form a steering committee to include the contractors, city representatives and the various Sandton stakeholder formations,” the agency said.