Pretoria – Contractors of the long-overdue bus rapid transit system route in Atterbury Road, Menlyn, have reached the last stretch of their work, which is expected to be completed in three months.
Hailed as a world-class project, the road infrastructure was envisaged to ease traffic congestion in Pretoria east.
The multimillion-rand project includes widening Atterbury Road between Louis Avenue and January Masilela Drive together with a separated quarter link access to Dallas Avenue in the Menlyn precinct.
The City of Tshwane said the project had “reached practical completion”.
City spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said landscape work was still outstanding, adding that the current contractor was “left with a snag list to complete in three months”.
Mashigo attributed the delays to the government-imposed lockdown as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The project included the construction of Dallas Interchange in Menlyn, encompassing the upgrading of Atterbury Road with a BRT facility between the intersections of Lois Avenue and January Masilela Drive.
The BRT route was in accordance with the envisioned Menlyn Road Master Plan, approved following a feasibility study in 1999 that foresaw the need to upgrade the road network serving the greater Pretoria East area.
Part of the study identified Atterbury Road as a trunk route for the BRT system which will ultimately provide accessibility to and from areas such as Mahube Valley in Mamelodi, and the future Gautrain route east of the city.
In July last year, the City announced the completion of the first phase, which marked an end to the construction of the three-lane mixed traffic carriageway along Atterbury Road.
The project includes upgrading of Atterbury Road to three lanes in each direction between Lois Avenue and January Masilela Drive, including an interchange, giving cars access to the Menlyn Maine development node.
The road provides for pedestrians and non-motorised transport, including a bicycle lane, on the southern side of Atterbury Road.
Mashigo said the City had timelines for the work, but they were disrupted by the national lockdown.
“Currently practical completion is achieved. All road traffic lanes used by private vehicles are open; only bus lanes are currently barricaded to avoid possible abuse by private motorists. These lanes are expected to open soon when operations of BRT buses to Menlyn resume,” he said.
The works were done by various entities, he said. Corobay was done by the Menlyn Main developer. “The new east-bound carriageway; bridges; quarter-link (turn-off to Corobay); BRT lanes; walk-ways; traffic lights and street lights were done by the City.”
Pretoria News