The Johannesburg Roads Agency’s (JRA’s) M1 bridge rehabilitation projects will now only be completed towards the end of 2017, owing to unforeseen events, including sporadic labour unrest and geotechnical complications.
Improvements to the Oxford and Federation bridges, as well as the M1’s Double Decker bridge, were initially scheduled for completion in early 2017.
Speaking at a media briefing on Thursday, JRA MD Dr Sean Phillips said the overall progress of the Oxford bridge currently stood at 56%, against 70% of time lapsed, while the Double Decker bridge was only 10% complete, against 61% of project time having lapsed.
The extension of the Oxford and Federation bridges project means that between Killarney bend and St Andrews, there will be a limited number of lanes open for a longer period.
The Oxford road onramp on the M1 southbound will be closed between November 21 and December 15, while from March 2017 to September 2017, the offramp from the M1 travelling northbound will be closed.
The JRA further warned that the Double Decker bridge would be reduced by one lane on each carriageway between January 22 and February 12.
Meanwhile, the agency revealed that it had faced some financial challenges with its contractors on these projects, as some of the input materials were imported and, thus, impacted by the fluctuating rand.
However, despite the time delays and contractor dispute, the projects still fell within the R210-million completion budget.
In light of the recent flash floods that caused significant damage to some of the city’s road networks, Phillips warned motorists to not drive through any deep puddles. “If you cannot see the surface of the road, [we heed motorists] to pull off onto the side off the road or find a different route,” he added.
Phillips said the JRA had also embarked on an ongoing mission to unblock the stormwater systems to prevent the roads being flooded again.