Thousands of motorists and commuters in Johannesburg breathed a sigh of relief when M2 highway was officially reopened on Monday, 4 November 2019, after it was closed for eight months.
The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) closed the M2 highway between the Crown Interchange and Maritzburg Streets in February this year for rehabilitation after the structural integrity of the concrete elements were severely eroded, posing risk to motorists.
The official reopening was attended by the Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Cllr Herman Mashaba, Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Transport, Cllr Nonhlanhla Makhuba, Gauteng Premier David Makhura and former Inkatha Freedom Party leader Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, among others.
Mayor Mashaba said it was not an easy decision to close down the highway because it does not only serve the people of Joburg, but the whole country.
“It wasn’t an easy decision but it was necessary for this project to happen in order to protect the lives of our residents and everyone who use M2 highway. Their lives were at risk and we couldn’t allow that to happen under our watch,” Mashaba explained.
Mashaba added that reopening the highway as scheduled was one of his proudest moments as the Executive Mayor of the City.
During the M2 repair, the City spent R155 million on rebuilding the bridge structure and R34 million on road resurfacing. A total of 57 local community members were employed and seven SMME contractors were appointed. The City has a bridges repair backlog of over R6 billion.
“I commend the City of Joburg’s Mayor Herman Mashaba and the entire JRA team for the great work to keep motorists safe and reopening M2 on time,” said the Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula.
Premier Makhura emphasised the importance of infrastructure in helping to turn the economy around to be efficient in the province. The JRA’s Acting Managing Director, Siyabonga Nodu, said the safety of motorists remains a priority.
“This re-opening will be a relief to road users as many had to endure heavy traffic volumes daily. The safety of motorists and all road users still remain our priority, hence the major rehabilitation work on the M2 highway,” Nodu said.
