Entities visit Witkoppen and Rivonia roads to tackle persistent signal failures
Motorists along Witkoppen and Rivonia roads are facing mounting chaos as key traffic lights fail. Eskom and Johannesburg Roads Agency are investigating the outages, but a clear fix is yet to be confirmed.
Motorists travelling along Witkoppen and Rivonia roads are facing worsening congestion, with several busy intersections out of order for weeks.
Ward 93 councillor Vino Reddy said residents have raised safety concerns about the Witkoppen Road and Main Road intersection, describing it as increasingly intimidating, especially at night.
“Pedestrians often stand in the middle of the road, rubbish is burned on the roadside, and suspicious individuals linger on all corners,” Reddy said.
Read more: Douglasdale police record multiple arrests
He confirmed that Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) has reported the issue to Eskom, as the power supply to the traffic signals has failed.
“Despite this, Eskom has not attended to the fault for more than a week.”
Further down Witkoppen Road, traffic congestion has been worsened by the switch-off of lights at the intersection of Straight Avenue and Montecasino Boulevard.
The signals were deliberately turned off to allow for road-widening and construction work, approved by the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport.
Reddy noted that the absence of pointsmen during the project has left motorists in misery.
Residents have also complained about outages at Rivonia Road and Vanderbijl Avenue, as well as Rivonia Road and Maxwell Drive.
These two key corridors are now both affected, within a few hundred metres of each other, prompting growing frustration from the community.
Also read: Fourways begins to see results under improvement district effort
In response, Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena said the utility and JRA conducted a joint site visit on September 4, at the Witkoppen Road and Main Road intersection, to assess the challenges causing the recurring failures. The visit also aimed to identify a suitable location to relocate the traffic light control box closer to the power supply.
“At this stage, we are unable to provide a specific resolution timeframe. However, Eskom is working closely with JRA to ensure that the matter is resolved as a matter of urgency.”
JRA spokesperson Mosa Makhalima confirmed receipt of queries on the matter, saying the agency would respond in due course.
Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates
