Name of the Project
Grayston pedestrian and cyclist bridge.

Location
Gauteng, South Africa.

Client
Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA).

Project Description
The project forms part of Johannesburg’s Corridors of Freedom initiative, which aims to develop well-planned transport arteries linked to interchanges dedicated to mixed-use development and undoing apartheid spatial planning. 

The project involves the construction of a pedestrian and walkway bridge, linking the Alexandra and Sandton areas, in Johannesburg.

The bridge is intended to address the needs of those who use nonmotorised forms of transport by providing a high-quality, safe walking and cycling facility.

The commuter bridge, which will traverse the M1 highway and run alongside the existing Grayston interchange, forms part of a planned 5-km-long cycling and walking corridor from the heart of Alexandra to the Sandton central business district and will accommodate the 10 000 daily commuters who currently travel between the two centres.

The structure will comprise a 250 m concrete bridge, with an 8 m deck to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists.

The pedestrian and cycling lanes will each be 3 m wide, with a 2-m-wide barrier in the middle, solar-powered light-emitting diode lighting, hawker stalls, benches and shrubbery, as well as closed-circuit television cameras installed along the route.

To ensure universal access, the pedestrian walkway will not have steps or similar barriers, making it wheelchair-friendly, while local artists will be selected to render artworks along the length of the bridge.

The dedicated walking and cycling path will start at Number 3 Square, in Alexandra, and will follow Roosevelt street, Watt street over Louis Botha avenue, and Rautenbach street, before meeting the new bridge across the highway and continuing along Grayston drive onto Katherine street and Linden streets before terminating at the corner of Maude and 5th streets.

Jobs to be Created
Not stated.

Value
R130-million.

Duration
The project will be completed in 2017.

Latest Developments
The Grayston pedestrian and cyclist bridge over the M1 dual carriageway is expected to be completed by October, the City of Johannesburg has said.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Royal HaskoningDHV (bridge design) and Murray & Roberts (construction contractor).

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
JDA, tel +27 11 688 7851, fax +27 11 688 7899 or email info@jda.org.za.
Royal HaskoningDHV, tel +27 11 798 6000, fax +27 11 798 6005 or email corporate@rhdhv.com.
Murray & Roberts, tel +27 11 456 6200, fax +27 11 455 2222 or email info@murrob.com.