The second leg of Rea Vaya – Phase 1B from Noordgesig to Parktown, is gathering pace, with completion now expected by June.

A completed side walk at one of the stations

PHASE 1B's construction, another route to be rolled out by Rea Vaya, is due for completion by June.

Once completed, the new route will be 18 kilometres long with 10 stations. It is estimated to be costing R1,2-billion.The remaining construction, referred to as section 2 is almost 70 percent complete, according to the Johannesburg Development Agency.

Originally expected to be finished by March/April, work has been slowed by a number of unforeseen delays.

According to Sid Clark, a development manager at the Johannesburg Development Agency who is in charge of parts of Rea Vaya's construction, work is going ahead to reach deadlines. "We are working over the weekends in certain areas to ensure we stay on schedule, because of the current bitumen shortage," said Clark.

Phase 1B starts in Noordgesig in Soweto, and travels through Pennyville and New Canada, Highgate, Kingsway Road, Stanley Road, Empire Road, Parktown, Braamfontein and Rissik Street, and joins Phase 1A in the city centre. The route covers suburbs of Soweto, as well as Richmond, Melville, Westbury, Riverlea, Bosmont, Brixton, Coronationville, New Canada, Pennyville, Crosby, Newclare and Noordgesig.

It passes the universities of Johannesburg and Witwatersrand, as well as Helen Joseph and Rahima Moosa hospitals, and many of its passengers are expected to be students, hospital patients and staff. Also expected to take the bus along this route are residents and workers, as well as school learners.

STATIONS

There is a station just in front of Wits on Empire Road and another one a few metres down the road. There are two stations adjacent to the SABC in Auckland Park, another one a kilometre away, opposite the University of Johannesburg and Helen Joseph Hospital. Learners from Hoërskool Vorentoe and users of the Rahima Moosa Hospital have stations just in front of their premises too.

Work continues on Soweto highway towards new circle

Section two of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system has been divided into five portions.

Portion one extends from Buffalo Street to the Springbok Road intersection with New Canada Road. Both are in Pennyville, near the train station. Most BRT lanes and mixed traffic lanes have been completed in that area and the balance of work focuses on pedestrian walkways, road periphery and road widening.

Portion two extends from Colin Drive in Noordgesig to Pennyville, on the side of the N17 Bridge. The road has been widened in this area; however, the challenge will be in the re-surfacing of the median lanes as well as construction of the station platform.

Portion three runs from the Soweto Highway to Colin Road in Noordgesig. Residents have been alerted about the delay as more inconveniences are expected during the rest of the building work.

Portion four incorporates work from Buffalo Street in Pennyville towards Main Reef Road, while portion five is on the Soweto Highway between Mooki/Main Road and N17/Klipsruit Valley Road intersections.

CONSTRUCTION

Construction of four of the 10 Phase 1B stations is being completed, and should be done by the end by end of March. These stations include those on Rissik Street in the CBD, on University Road in Auckland Park, on Fulton Road in Newclare and on Main Road in Noordgesig.

Benches and side walk upgraded and ready

"This phase-section 2 of roll-out is essentially to complete the Phase 1B of the BRT Infrastructure roll-out" said Clark.

The Rissik and Harrison streets section of the BRT upgrade is bordered by Smit Street in the north and Commissioner Street in the south. The Harrison section is bounded by Plein and Commissioner streets at the north and south ends, respectively.

These sections will entail the upgrade of two of the existing mixed traffic lanes for exclusive use by BRT buses between Smit and Plein streets, and a single BRT lane along Rissik Street and Harrison Street on the section between Plein and Commissioner streets. Work here is 93%cent complete.

The Newclare Underpass involves a road culvert under a railway line between Westbury and Newclare stations, connecting Hoy and Price streets. The culvert on the Hoy Street side has been jacked into place and the Price Street culvert jacking began on 23 January.

BRT stations' urban environmental upgrade for Phase 1 is 99 percent complete at six station precincts on Chris Hani Road, Klipspruit Valley Road and Mooki Street. These include the installation of bollards, benches, new paving and kerbs in plant beds, as well as improving the existing paving and kerbs, and planting trees and shrubs.

The Dobsonville Permanent Depot is undergoing an expansion of the temporary depot from 10 000m² to 80 000m² to accommodate 270 BRT buses. It is 5 percent complete.

Related stories:

• Stations going up for Phase 1B
• Steady progress on Phase 1B
• Phase two steaming ahead