The construction site along the M2 Johannesburg highway, in Kensington
Civil engineering and construction services provider Icon Group was awarded a contract to develop a new filling station along the M2 Johannesburg highway, in Kensington.
Located between the Chilvers street and Cleveland road offramps, the new development will provide motorists with a refueling point on a currently unserviced stretch of highway.
The R8-million contract was awarded to the Icon Group by the property developers, starting February for completion within six months.
While construction has had to pause owing to the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, the company on June 23 said it was looking forward to “working quickly and efficiently” once construction on the project was allowed to restart.
The contract includes the initial bulk earthworks and civils, followed by tar surfacing and layer works once building has progressed. The new development also includes the construction of two large entrance and exit roads onto the M2.
“The site posed a challenge, as it naturally lies 3 m below the highway. To ensure optimal visual exposure for this new development, we needed to raise the site so that it wouldn’t be missed,” Icon Group MD Wayne Neary explained.
Filling the site ensures that motorists have a line of sight, while also mitigating the need for steep entrances to and exits from the filling station.
The biggest challenge for this project, however, has been working in close proximity to high-density buildings and heavy traffic zones in cooperation with the South African National Roads Agency, the company pointed out.
As a result, Icon said it “must be conscious of noise and adhere to the strictest safety measures” as it undertakes clearing of the 30 000 m2 site, cutting and filling, and all associated civil services including water and sanitation infrastructure, electrical infrastructure and roadworks.