Name and Location
Rea Vaya bus rapid transit (BRT) system Phase 1B, Gauteng, South Africa.

Client
Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA).

Project Description
The already operational Phase 1A of the BRT system runs from Thokoza Park, in Soweto, to Ellis Park, and also comprises routes through the central business district (CBD). It covers 25.5 km and has 33 stations.

Phase 1B of the Rea Vaya BRT system is the second loop, or second trunk route, in the overall BRT system. The 18 km, ten-station phase will run from Noordgezicht to Parktown, and into the Johannesburg CBD.

A trunk route, such as the one in Phase 1A and 1B, is typically supported by several BRT feeder services ferrying passengers to and from the main routes.

The new route will cover areas, such as those in which the universities of Johannesburg and the Witwatersrand are located, as well as the Helen Joseph and Rahima Moosa hospitals.

The third phase of the project, Phase 1C, is planned to run from Parktown to Sandton. Additional Rea Vaya phases will result in other links from Dobsonville, Protea Glen, Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital, Sunninghill and Alexandra being integrated into the existing system.

Value
Government has invested an estimated R4-billion in the Rea Vaya bus system to date.

Duration
Not stated.

Latest Developments
JDA has started the implementation of Phase 1C of the BRT roadworks along Louis Botha avenue, between Parktown and Wynberg, and along Katherine street, in Sandton, from Marlboro to the Gautrain station.

Construction works are also under way on two new bridges over the M1 highway, one of which is the Grayston pedestrian bridge linking Alexandra and Sandton.

The construction of the two bridges is expected to continue for 18 months until February 2017.

Phase 1 of the flagship public transport project, which started in February 2014 and was completed in June, encompassed the road strengthening of about 12 km of the north- and southbound BRT lanes, as well as the construction of a dividing median from Empire road, in the south, to Lees street, in the north, along Louis Botha avenue and Old Pretoria road.

Contractors Axton Matrix were appointed to complete the 6 km section between Empire road and Louis Botha road, while Bophelong Construction was awarded the contract for the 6 km section from Louis road to Lees street, in the north.

“All works in this phase of construction have been completed, with the exception of the resurfacing of some major roads onto which traffic is diverted from Louis Botha avenue. The anticipated completion of this work is the end of August,” the JDA has said in a statement.

Phase 2 of the project will, meanwhile, entail the widening and upgrading of the traffic lane to be used by the travelling public, improving pedestrian sidewalks and constructing of BRT bus stations along the route from Empire road to Lees street, along Louis Botha avenue.

“This work will require the long- and short-term closures of the existing traffic lanes along the route,” the agency has cautioned.

It adds that long-term traffic diversions will be required for the construction of some BRT bus stations, where alternative routes will be used for the deviation of traffic.

Short-term closures will encompass the closure of single traffic lanes between 9:00 and 15:30 and, in certain circumstances, between 19:00 and 05:30.

Contractors Mivami Construction and Nyoni Projects have been awarded the contracts for this phase of development, which is expected to be completed by April 2016.

Meanwhile, construction work on the Grayston drive pedestrian bridge started in May and will require the closure of the slow lane shoulder in both north- and southbound directions of the M1, about 300 m from both sides of the existing Grayston drive bridge.

In addition, the fast lane shoulder in both directions will be closed for 100 m on either side of the Grayston drive bridge for 18 months.

Short-term lane closures of the M1 will also be needed for the placing of concrete traffic barriers to close off the shoulders and will be undertaken between 22:00 and 04:00.

There will also be occasional rolling closures for the positioning of personnel and adjustment of barriers, which will be undertaken outside of peak hours under the control of the attenuator truck.

“Other than the closure of the shoulders, the impact of the construction works on the travelling public should be minimal,” the agency has said.

In Sandton, construction works on the Katherine street BRT bridge over the M1 highway started at the end of May, with completion expected in November 2016.

The JDA has cautioned of short-term lane closures and contraflows on weekends for erecting temporary supports for the new Katherine street BRT bridge, which are expected to take place in November.

Where short-term carriageway closures are implemented, these will occur over weekends.

The JDA has also started the widening of the Sandspruit bridge, between Katherine street and Marlboro drive, with construction currently in Phase 1, which entails the construction of a temporary deviation off of Katherine street to enable the construction of the remainder of the bridge.

The widening of Katherine street between West street and Westbrook is, meanwhile, nearing completion.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
JDA (main implementing agency); Scania (supply and delivery of chassis and engines for BRT buses); Marcopolo South Africa (bus bodies) and MBSA Sandown Motor Holdings (buses).

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
BRT marketing and communications, tel +27 11 544 1900, cell +27 83 441 6747.
City of Johannesburg Rea Vaya project manager Jacques van Zijl, tel +27 11 870 4613; or communications deputy director Nthatisi Modingoane, tel +27 11 407 7354, fax +27 11 403 3494, cell +27 82 467 9228 or email nthatisem@joburg.org.za.
JDA, tel +27 11 688 7851, fax +27 11 688 7899 or email info@jda.org.za.
Scania, tel +27 11 661 9600.
MBSA, tel +27 12 677 1500.