Another eight months of traffic agony
The major construction project to widen Simon Vermooten Road is expected to be completed by December this year. Motorists will have to prepare themselves for continuing traffic congestion in the area until then.
There is light at the end of the tunnel – or rather the road – for frustrated motorists forced to use the part of Simon Vermooten Road which is being broadened at a cost of R136 million.
Because of the construction, traffic on the busy road has to be forced into one carriageway instead of two, not only causing traffic jams on Simon Vermooten Road itself, but also in streets crossing the road and on the N4 highway on- and off-ramps.
Anger and frustration among road users came to a boiling point last week, with drivers getting out of their vehicles, shouting and screaming at each other, a reader who had to wait for almost half an hour just to turn into Simon Vermooten Road from The Grove shopping centre, told Rekord.
During afternoon peak periods, the traffic chaos at Simon Vermooten Road causes back-ups as far back as Watermeyer Street.
It is anticipated that the construction of the major artery, which connects, among others, the Ford Motor Company, Waltloo and Mamelodi with the N4 highway from the north and Die Wilgers Hospital from the south, will be completed by December this year, Tshwane spokesperson Lebogang Matji said.
She stressed that the doubling of Simon Vermooten Road was one of Tshwane’s critical projects.
Earlier reports stated that the broadening of the road was part of a metro incentive to keep large industries, such as the Ford Motor Company, in Pretoria by giving them easier access to the highways.
In the meantime, Matji said the Tshwane metro was doing everything possible to keep the traffic flowing, including the deployment of Outsurance traffic pointsmen during peak-hour traffic periods.
Matji said that despite the construction, contractors kept the traffic lights working at several intersections, including at the extremely busy Pretoria/Bronkhorstspruit roads, Waltloo Road and Alwyn Street.
“Unfortunately, at Griffiths Street power cuts due to load-shedding from 14:00 to 17:00 can influence the traffic flow, although the traffic lights there are fully functional,” she said.
At Albertus and Bush streets, the Tshwane metro was waiting for the responsible sub-contractor to relocate the traffic lights, but Outsurance pointsmen were on duty during heavy traffic periods.
“We are constructing the intersection at Furrow and Liviero streets in Equestria and can only install traffic lights there when cable ducts are in place,” Matji explained, adding that pointsmen were also deployed there when needed.
Phase 1 of the massive project, which includes a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lane, started in April last year with the pier enforcement being done at the Simon Vermooten Road bridge across the N4 highway.
The second phase started in September last year and included the building of temporary roads and bypasses to ensure access to businesses and residential areas along the road.
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