Photo by: Bloomberg
Pedestrians and cyclists commuting to and from work between Sandton and Alexandra will no longer have to navigate dangerous traffic with the construction of a new walkway bridge linking the two areas.
The pedestrian and walkway bridge, which will start from No3 Square in Alexandra to Sandton near the Grayston Avenue Bridge along Katherine Street, is expected to reduce travel times as well as traffic accidents in the area.
Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) CEO Thanduxolo Mendrew said the bridge would be an iconic addition to the city's skyline, similar to the Nelson Mandela Bridge.
“The City’s Nelson Mandela Bridge has become one of the iconic structures of the southern gateway and this bridge will equally change the city skyline as an important northern gateway. At the same time it will serve as an important link between Sandton and Alexandra to show that the futures of these areas are inherently connected,” said Mendrew.
The project was initiated after a study by the City of Johannesburg on traffic and transport in the area indicated that a significant number of people commuted between Alexandra and Sandton.
Many commuters travel along Rautenbach Avenue and Roosevelt Street to Grayston Drive, on their way to work in the Sandton CBD. The distance travelled by an average 10 000 pedestrians daily is approximately 5.2 km.
The upgrading of this route is in line with its Non-Motorised Transport Policy and Complete Street Concept.
Mendrew said that careful thought had gone into designing the bridge as the JDA needed to come up with something that spoke to the concept of the Corridors of Freedom.
"In 2013 the executive mayor introduced the Corridors of Freedom as areas where there can be walking, cycling and public transport which is safe, reliable and affordable. This bridge satisfies that basic need that talks to citizens' rights to a spatially integrated city," said Mendrew.
The Corridors of Freedom form part of the City of Joburg's effort to undo apartheid spatial planning, used to separate people on the basis of race.
The Corridors of Freedom construction programme includes the new bridge over the M1, a new public transport interchange at Watt Street in Alexandra, and the dedicated walk and cycleway linking Alexandra and Sandton.
Also part of the project is the Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system and the accompanying trunk routes across the city.
The Alexandra/Sandton walkway is part of the Rea Vaya Phase 1C trunk route and is expected to be implemented in 2015.