The multimillion rand roadworks project extending 10th Avenue across Wespoort Drive to link the Mitchell’s Plain industrial hive with the Town Centre will open next month.
The project was due to open on Tuesday July 5, but was delayed due to unknown electrical cables being found along 10th Avenue and Alpha Street (“Roadworks rev up businesses”, Plainsman, February 3 ).
Brett Herron, the City’s mayoral committee member for transport, said the provisional completion date had been postponed to mid-August if all went according to plan. Construction started in July last year.
The discovery of the cables, said Mr Herron, had resulted in a delay of at least 22 working days as they needed to be relocated.
“It is important to keep in mind that all of the City’s projects are impacted upon by the weather, particularly during the winter months, and other unforeseen challenges, such as the location of underground services,” he said.
The roadworks and upgrade project, which has a budget of more than R21 million, include the extension of 10th Avenue, which runs from Charlie Street at Entrance 1 at the Liberty Promenade taxi rank, intersecting with Bravo Street and Alpha Crescent in the industrial hive and the Wespoort Drive bridge to link it with the bus terminus in the Town Centre.
Mr Herron said approximately R18.7 million has been spent to date.
He added that the construction of the link road and the realignment of 10th Avenue, including the alteration of the traffic signals, are completed. “The contractor is currently busy with some hitches identified by the engineer,” he said.
Mr Herron said the project will include sidewalks and streetlights along the link road and an upgrade of Tango Square and Waltz Square parking area, including the rehabilitation of pavement structures, soft landscaping, paved islands and new streetlights.
There will be an upgrade of Calypso Square parking area, including soft landscaping and streetlights and replacing of dead trees and missing brick paving in the northern terminal parking area.
There will be mosaic work on the Mitchell’s Plain library walls and arches at the eastern entrance to the Town Centre.
Mr Herron said there will be an extension of the fish trader canopies, including a new concrete floor, extended roof and water services
Danny Rass, chairperson of the Bravo business hive body corporate, said throughout the construction business had lost customers as they had had limited access to the main entrance.
“The main challenge was redirecting the traffic to our businesses. The contractor made no provision for this (and) the frustration was that they did not work over weekends to help expedite their work progress,” he said.
The Bravo business hive is off 10th Avenue and has 20 businesses located there and at Alpha hive and surroundings, which are on 10th Avenue and Bravo and Charlie streets, there are 72 businesses.
Mr Herron said: “We have had regular meetings – in fact, every second week – with the Alpha hive body corporate during which the construction progress and issues regarding access and traffic accommodation were addressed and discussed.
“Recently the project team has also had meetings with the Bravo business hive to address the impact of the project on their businesses. We have tried to mitigate these issues as far as possible.”
