Highway progress update
Find out what's happening with construction on the John Ross Parkway
WITH all traffic now diverted onto the new road-over-rail bridge at the Empangeni Rail section of the John Ross Parkway, demolition of the old bridge is proceeding.
In his progress report on Thursday at the bi-monthly Project Liaison Committee meeting, construction engineer Drew Wilson of RHDHV said removal of asphalt from the old bridge surface was completed.
‘This was a bigger job than anticipated, as some of the asphalt as 650mm thick in places.’
The bridge will now be cut into sections, which be lifted off and disposed of before construction of a completely new and higher bridge begins.
During this time, train movements will continue uninterrupted.
Good news for business owners on the Rail is that the recently-opened New Tanner Road/Impala intersection will remain open throughout further construction phases.
This includes a switch of traffic from the eastbound to the westbound carriageway, between Grantham Highway and the rail bridge.
Big local spend
In about a month’s time, two-way traffic between the Oilco intersection and the N2 will also be diverted from the westbound to the eastbound carriageway, once surfacing has ben completed.
Wilson said that to date, R59-million rand (50% of budget) had been spent on the Empangeni Rail section of the highway project, after 17 months of the 28 month contract.
Completion is scheduled for mid-July 2014.
With regard to the EPWP (Expanded Public Works Programme), 89 job opportunities have been created on the contract, including 10 females and 64 youth, with close to R3-million spent on local wages.
Work at the Alton intersection is almost complete but concerns of induction from overhead powerlines affecting street lighting may mean the use of 7m rather than 10m poles, or switching to fibreglass poles.
Road marking is presently being done on various completed sections of the eastbound carriageway between the eSikhaleni and BHP Billiton intersections.
‘Cat’s eye’ studs are also being installed, while grassing and landscaping will significantly improve the aesthetics.
