Rea Vaya rolls out bus lanes to Katherine Street
- Details
- 19 February 2015
Work is under way on bus lanes, pavement structures, and pedestrian and cycling paths in Sandton
SPORTING hard hats and protective eyewear, WBHO construction workers were busy erecting safety barricades on 18 February that will separate Rea Vaya buses and other traffic along the busy Katherine Street in Sandton, Johannesburg.
They have been working diligently over the past few months constructing the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and pedestrian-cycling lanes along the road, from the West Street intersection through to Sandspruit bridge. The sound of jackhammers and heavy machinery has filled the air daily, mixed with a liberal amount of swearing from motorists frustrated by the delay in traffic and closure of additional lanes.
This project is part of the Phase 1C expansion of the City's Rea Vaya BRT from central Joburg to Sandton and Alexandra. The project is being undertaken by construction group WBHO.
Costing R3-billion, the construction of a network of BRT lanes, pavement structures, and pedestrian and cycling walkways is at various stages of completion in the north-east quadrant of Johannesburg.
Tebogo Molefe, a WBHO junior foreman who is part of the team supervising the project, said they were very pleased with the work. "I am happy with the progress we have made so far and to hope to complete this project by April."
Challenges to the work have included bad weather, from extremely high temperatures that have sometimes reached 36°C degrees to extremely heavy rains. "After a heavy downpour, we are forced to redo some of the work at times," Molefe explained.
On a normal day, the team starts work at six in the morning with a health and safety meeting. They work flat out to finish at four in the afternoon. The project is being overseen by the Johannesburg Development Agency and is line with the City's Corridors of Freedom programme.
