N1 upgrades in Western Cape now 60% complete, completion targeted for May 2019
28th September 2018
By: Marleny Arnoldi
Creamer Media Online Writer
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The R487-million upgrade of a section of the N1 between Plattekloof road and Old Oak interchange, in the Western Cape, is 60% complete.
The project is expected to be completed by May 2019.
About 120 000 vehicles travel on this stretch of road during the morning inbound and afternoon outbound peak periods. The addition of a third lane in both directions will significantly reduce traffic congestion on the road once the project is complete.
Work on installing the Freeway Management System, fibre-optic bank and Wemmershoek pipeline is complete, as is work on the concrete retaining walls, the Old Oak inbound on-ramp temporary bypass and the Phase 1 widening of the third lanes in the median.
The Old Oak inbound on-ramp is also complete and open to traffic.
Current work in progress includes pavement rehabilitation on the N1 carriageways, which will be completed in October; Phase 2 median widening and installation of the concrete median barrier, which is 75% complete; Phase 3 median widening and barrier, which recently got under way; and inbound auxiliary lane widening between Durban road and Jip de Jager drive, which is 50% complete.
Additionally, there is work in progress on inbound auxiliary lane widening between Jip de Jager and Plattekloof road; outbound auxiliary lane widening between Jip de Jager and Durban road, which is 50% complete; widening of the Jip de Jager interchange and ramp; the widening of Old Oak interchange and ramp; and reconstruction of Old Oak road West bridge.
New lanes have been marked between the Old Oak off-ramp and the R300 to reduce congestion while construction is under way.
Daily closures are required on the main carriageways for removing existing surfacing and laying new ultrathin friction course surfacing.
The reconstruction of the western portion of the Old Oak road bridge will cause some discomfort to road users until its completion, which is expected towards the end of this year.
In the meantime, the Old Oak road East bridge is carrying all northbound and southbound traffic.
This project, which is headed by the provincial departments of Transport and Public Works, is creating a number of short-term job and skills development opportunities.
As of August, R26-million has been spent on targeted labour, while 30 998 person-days of work have been created for people from the City of Cape Town municipal areas bordering the N1.