Sunninghill Community Ratepayers Association is calling on residents to help sign the Sunninghill community traffic calming petition, aimed at making Nanyuki Road safer for everyone.

As Sunninghill is facing a deepening road infrastructure crisis due to rapid development in surrounding areas, particularly Waterfall City, it continues to force unprecedented volumes of traffic onto a residential road network, which has not been meaningfully upgraded in more than a decade.

Read more: Residents demand urgent action as Nanyuki Road becomes danger zone

Linda Gildenhuys, chairperson of the association, said: “With the development of Waterfall City, and the number of roads built to enable development of the area, Sunninghill has seen a dramatic increase in traffic. The roads in Waterfall, like the M9 and the new, to-be-developed K60, all lead to Sunninghill, but our roads have not been upgraded to cope with this.”

Despite being bordered by major arterial routes, such as Waterfall Drive, Maxwell Drive, and the M9, these high-capacity dual carriageways funnel directly into Sunninghill’s narrow, single-lane internal streets. “The M9 in Waterfall is a double-lane road, which changes into a normal single-lane residential road in Barbeque Downs and Sunninghill. Vehicles using the M9 are now taking shortcuts through Sunninghill, causing major traffic mayhem.”

She said residents have, for years, been requesting upgrades through official planning processes. “For many years, we have placed these urgently needed upgrades on the city’s integrated development plan for capital expenditure. Every year, we receive nothing, while the traffic load increases exponentially.”

Nanyuki Road has emerged as one of the most dangerous pressure points. The single-lane road links Barbeque Downs and Sandton, and is widely used as a shortcut between the N1 Allandale and N1 Rivonia ramps. “Non-resident vehicles speed along Nanyuki Road daily, and the speeding is shocking.

Also read: WATCH: Fourways residents protest at Kilindini and Nanyuki Roads

“There have been multiple accidents, complex walls knocked down, and injuries over the past two years, and with the increase in vehicles, it is becoming worse. It is only a matter of time before there is a fatality.”

Internal roads across the suburb are also deteriorating. “Malindi Road, Nanyuki Road, Tana Road, and Leeukop Road are all in advanced stages of decline. Many of these roads lack proper storm water drainage and curbing, which leads to flooding, rapidly forming potholes, and surface damage. In some cases, residents have had to fill potholes themselves after repeated reports yielded no response.”

Despite being the only dual-lane road in the suburb, the K60 currently ends at Rivonia Road. “The K60 was meant to be extended through Paulshof to Fourways, but this has not happened, and there does not seem to be any plan to do so. As a result, more and more Waterfall traffic is being pushed into Sunninghill every year.

“Sunninghill has only Nanyuki Road and Rivonia Road to carry the burden of an entire region. During peak hours, residents can spend up to 45 minutes just trying to exit the suburb, and emergency access to Sunninghill Hospital is increasingly compromised.

“Our residents are reaching the breaking point. Some have already sold their homes or are considering leaving because the situation has become intolerable. Sunninghill cannot continue to serve as an unplanned traffic corridor without receiving the infrastructure support it desperately needs.”

Residents are urged to sign and share the petition here.

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