The Western Cape Department of Infrastructure said the 30-month R285 million Refinery Interchange Project is progressing according to plan.
While there were some delays of 28 days over the 30 months, mainly due to weather conditions, the project is on track to finish by the end of the first quarter in 2024.
The project created 478 work opportunities which exceeded the target of 367, while 17 emerging contractors were developed, 37 local enterprises supported, and close to R42.5 million has been spent on targeted enterprises.
The project involves the construction of an interchange which is located at the juncture of Trunk Road 11 Section 1 (N7) and Plattekloof Road (M14) – referred to as Refinery Interchange.
The project is generally located along the M14 road reserve, and it includes the upgrade of the interchange ramps connecting to the N7. The site boundary includes all road and freeway sections required for advance warning signage and all areas where construction work is required.
The department said the main objectives of the upgrade are to improve the capacity and safety of traffic operations at the Refinery Interchange. The project implements a dual-carriageway system along Plattekloof Road.
To implement the dual east-west carriageway system, the existing interchange bridge – which had a substandard vertical clearance – was demolished and replaced by constructing two new bridges over the N7.
Bridge B6068 (positioned south of the previous bridge) and bridge B6089 (positioned at the site of the previous bridge) will form the west-bound and east-bound carriageways, respectively.
To further accommodate the dualling of Plattekloof Road, the existing Road-over-Rail Bridge will be raised (with a concrete overlay) and widened to the south.
Other improvements include widening the four interchange ramps and upgrading the two interchange terminals.
Traffic accommodation has been in place throughout the project, with limited closures. The same number of lanes were active during the project than would have been on the old road, it said.
The only difference is that traffic accommodation was present and not traffic signals (traffic lights). This may have resulted in slower, but constant movement of traffic, rather than quicker but stop-start traffic one would experience with traffic signals.
The department highlighted some of the key milestones to date, which include the construction of the west-bound bridge (95% complete with sidewalks, stone pitching, and bridge-mounted street lights to be completed), construction of the east-bound bridge (80% complete with balustrades, median island, and asphalting still to be completed) and the reconstruction of the east-bound carriageway of Plattekloof (80% with some ancillary works still to be completed).
“I am pleased with the progress that has been made on this project,” said MEC Tertuis Simmers.
“The project plays a critical role as it forms an integral part of the long-term development of the N7 corridor, as well as the greater integrated transport plan for the Cape metropole,” he said.
“I know that it has caused frustration and inconvenience during construction, but the team has demonstrated their commitment to sticking to the plan. The long-term benefit will be invaluable to the region.
“Thank you to our road users for your patience, and our teams for their continued efforts. I am particularly pleased by the number of jobs and small, medium, and micro enterprise (SMME) opportunities we’ve managed to create through the project,” said Simmers.
Planned closure:
The department reminds road users of the scheduled closure as it commences with Phase 5 of roadworks along the Plattekloof Roadway over the N7. This will be closed to traffic from 7pm on Friday, November 24, until 5am Monday, November 27.
The N7 north-bound off- and on-ramps, and the south-bound off- and on-ramps at Refinery Interchange will remain open to traffic.
Simmers said while he was aware the closure coincides with the Black Friday weekend, the closure unfortunately cannot be rescheduled.
Alternatives:
Motorists travelling towards Montague Gardens on the N7 from Cape Town can still use the Plattekloof offramp. Because traffic will not be flowing from Plattekloof, it will positively affect traffic flow from the N7 onto Plattekloof Road. Motorists can also exit the N7 earlier at Bosmansdam Road (M8) and travel along Koeberg Road or Montague Drive.
Motorists travelling to Montague Gardens on the N7 from Malmesbury can either use Malibongwe Drive or Bosmansdam Road (M8) to access Montague Gardens.
Motorists travelling to the Richmond/Burgandy area from Malmesbury can still use the Plattekloof offramp. They can also exit the N7 earlier at Malibongwe Drive and travel via Giel Basson Drive (M12) and Tygerberg Valley Road (M13).
Motorists travelling to the Richmond/Burgandy area from Cape Town can use Bosmansdam Road (M8) and rejoin Plattekloof Road (M14).
“All areas remain accessible. We request motorists to plan their journeys and be cognisant of the closure of the bridge on Plattekloof Road,” Simmers said.
robin.francke@inl.co.za
IOL