Malibongwe Drive roadwork will still happen: Gauteng transport

The Gauteng department of transport has postponed its closure of a stretch of the busy Malibongwe Drive to August 5 – saying that it needed more time to consult “stakeholders”.

This comes as businesses warned that the closure would lead to serious financial loses‚ and motorists complained that there would be major traffic implications. 

A stretch of Malibongwe Drive‚ northbound‚ was supposed to be closed from Monday onward for roadworks.

But the department pushed the start by a week.

“After careful consideration and need for further consultation with affected stakeholders‚ the Gauteng department of roads and transport advises motorists that the scheduled roadworks on Malibongwe Drive (R512) have been pushed forward to commence on July 22 until August 5.

“Postponing the roadworks will provide the department ample time to constructively engage with business‚ residents as well as other stakeholders and in the process minimise travel and economic disruptions in and around the affected area‚” the department said in a statement.

An announcement was made by the department a week ago of the closure of a stretch of Malibongwe Drive's northbound section and the “accommodation of traffic on the southbound carriage" between the Epsom Avenue and River Road intersections.

A 700m-long stretch in the northbound section between Epsom Avenue and Boundary Road would be completely closed off to traffic during the upgrades‚ which were expected to last between 10 and 14 days and go on around the clock.

The closure was for new road surfacing to be installed.

But businesses affected by the closure were left fuming after they only learned about the closure from TimesLIVE. Business owners said they would lose a lot of money as a result of the closure and there was no proper communication‚ which could have helped them plan adequately.