Joburg Mayor Parks Tau opens Diepsloot bridge
DIEPSLOOT – A major road upgrade, started in 2013, finally comes to an end.
Johannesburg Executive Mayor Councillor Mpho Parks Tau opened the Ingonyama Bridge in Diepsloot on 31 March.
The bridge forms part of the City’s R150-million investment in Diepsloot to implement the Ingonyama Road extension and other related infrastructure.
During his address at the official opening, Tau said the facility serves to bring different communities of Diepsloot together. “This will bring Diepsloot into one as the bridge links the communities to the new police stations, clinics and Diepsloot Shopping Mall,” said Tau.
The mayor warned motorists against denying members of the public the use of public spaces. “Localised streets are meant to accommodate everyone, including cyclists and pedestrians. So [the streets] must be used for different purposes of recreation. Public roads are the largest public spaces which cannot be limited to people with cars only,” said Tau.
The work undertaken in the area included paving of sidewalks, storm water drains upgrades, kerbs, road surfacing, planting of 200 trees, installation of 80 street lights as well as associated electrical reticulation infrastructure.
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City of Johannesburg’s communication officer, Nthatisi Modingoane revealed that cycle lanes, trader structures, landscaping and public open spaces also form part of the project.
The bridge also acts as a landmark feature and creates a unique identity for the area. It also provides a physical link between areas that were previously disconnected.
“The City of Johannesburg’s development programme for Diepsloot intends to establish the area as a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable human settlement that is spatially integrated with access to basic services and opportunities for social mobility and economic development,” said Tau.
The Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) implemented the bridge and related infrastructure at a cost of R76 million.
The upgrade of the William Nicol/Ingonyama Road intersection began in September 2013 which, in the process, inconvenienced motorists.
The bridge was designed by Ikemeleng Architects with the assistance from the construction contractor, Axton Matrix. About 300 local jobs were created during the construction of the project.
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