The City of Cape Town’s Transport Directorate commenced with a road maintenance project on Jakes Gerwel Drive in Philippi earlier this month. Road users are advised that the construction will take place over a period of four months until the end of September 2019. Read more below:
The road maintenance project commenced on 7 May 2019 and work is expected to be completed by the end of September 2019. The City is resurfacing portions of Jakes Gerwel Drive in the south region close to Philippi.
The maintenance project consists of construction on two sections of this road. The first section entails work along Jakes Gerwel Drive, in a southbound direction only between the N2 freeway and Heideveld Road to Klipfontein Road. The second section entails work along Jakes Gerwel Drive between Govan Mbeki Drive and Weltevreden Road.
‘The City is investing over R29 million in the maintenance of Jakes Gerwel Drive, which is one of the most important routes for commuters and freight vehicles in Cape Town. All roadworks come with some inconvenience, but maintenance projects are critical as these prolong the lifespan of our road network, which is one of the City’s biggest assets. The movement of people and goods is pivotal in sustaining and supporting our local economy and this investment will ensure that we keep the road in a good condition for some years to come,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Transport, Alderman Felicity Purchase.
The roadworks stretch over 3,4 km in length and will result in a 75 000 m� area of newly resurfaced and resilient roadway for commuters to enjoy. Neighbouring suburbs such as Vanguard Estate and Philippi, as well as commuters travelling along this route to areas such as Weltevreden Valley, Mitchells Plain and Strandfontein will benefit from this project.
All materials used in the construction of roads are prone to wear and tear. The longevity of roads are furthermore impacted by traffic volumes, adverse weather and overloading.
‘Regular maintenance helps us to prevent major rehabilitation and reconstruction works which cost a lot more and has a much bigger impact on road users. Once completed, motorists will be able to enjoy smooth and safe journeys along these sections of Jakes Gerwel Drive for many years to come,’ said Alderman Purchase.
Work is taking place from 07:30 to 17:00 on Monday to Saturday. The teams will ensure that at least one lane is always open to traffic in both directions and that all lanes are reopened to traffic by 15:00 on the southbound carriageway and by 17:00 on the northbound carriageway.
The City recommends that commuters consider making use of alternative routes as far as possible as the roadworks will have an impact on traffic flow. The City apologises for any inconvenience caused and wants to thank motorists, businesses and residents for their cooperation and patience thus far.
Source: City Of Cape Town