The opening of the MR 458 road-over-rail bridge has improved access into the Cornubia Industrial and Business Estate (CIBE), in KwaZulu-Natal, with the new route leading motorists directly to the main entrance of the estate.
Construction of the MR 458 began in April 2014, with Fountain Civil Engineering as the main contractor. The official opening of the route took place at the end of February.
The R140-million access route was cofunded by the eThekwini municipality, which contributed 60% of the funding, and Tongaat Hulett Developments (THD), which funded the remaining 40%.
The estate could now be accessed through the MR 458 or JG Champion drive, off the R102 and Northern drive intersection.
Previously, access into the CIBE was through a single lane from the R102, which had to be upgraded to accommodate the increasing traffic volumes.
To ensure smooth flow of traffic, this road would remain open and be the primary access to eThekwini’s housing development, while the JG Champion drive entrance was the main entrance into the estate.
“The opening of JG Champion drive will go a long way in easing traffic congestion by greatly increasing access to the ever-expanding CIBE,” explained THD development executive Mtura Matshini.
Matshini added that the long-awaited gateway to the CIBE comprised two dual-lane road bridges.