The City of Cape Town would like to advise the public of the upcoming lane closures at the intersection of Govan Mbeki Road and Jan Smuts Drive in Hanover Park.
The lane closures will be in place while the City constructs a freestanding elevated traffic circle – the first of its kind in South Africa – as part of the roll-out of the MyCiTi service to the metro-south east.
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Over the weekends, high volumes of traffic move through the intersection at Govan Mbeki Road (M9) and Jan Smuts Drive (M17) in Hanover Park. Road users can be at ease, as the lane closures have been scheduled to fall outside the morning and afternoon peak hour periods to limit the impact on traffic flow.
The City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Councillor Rob Quintas, says pedestrians and cyclists will also benefit as dedicated lanes for walking and cycling along Govan Mbeki Drive and at the intersection form part of this project.
“Apart from the traffic circle that will be used by the MyCiTi buses, the City is also upgrading the intersection to improve traffic flow. The improvements entail the reconfiguration of the intersection, dedicated turning lanes, improved traffic signals and signalisations,” added Quintas.
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The lane closures will take effect on Tuesday, 27 September 2022, for about 19 months, until 30 April 2024.
The lane closures entail the following:
- The lanes to be affected are at the intersection of Govan Mbeki Road and Jan Smuts Drive in Hanover Park
- The closures will be in place between 09:00am and 15:30am on weekdays only
- The right-turning lane on the southbound carriageway along Jan Smuts Drive will be temporary closed to traffic during these times
- The right-turning lane on the northbound carriageway along Jan Smuts Drive will be temporary closed to traffic during these times
- Flag personnel will be on site to manage traffic through the construction site
- The affected lanes will be open to traffic before 09:00 and after 15:30
Road users are advised that on the odd occasion, the contractor may need to work over a weekend, but the public will be informed in advance, should this be the case.
How will it look after completion?
According to the City of Cape Town, the lanes will be open during the December holiday period. However, road users are advised to avoid this intersection and should consider using alternative routes, if possible.
“I want to ask the public to please bear with us and be patient while the construction is under way. Unfortunately, road works are always inconvenient, and with a project of this magnitude, the impact will be felt, especially with the lane closures that will be in place for over a year-and-a-half,” said Quintas.
The new elevated traffic circle can be described as a hollow circle in the sky, letting in light to the old intersection below:
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Picture: City of Cape Town