ROAD infrastructure maintenance is not only important for smoother, safer traffic flow, it is also a key catalyst for economic growth, which is one of the reasons the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality is hard at work on such improvements in the city.
That’s according to Executive Mayor Nqaba Bhanga, speaking at the recent official unveiling of the R1.2-million refurbishment of the William Moffett Expressway bridge, which he described as a confirmation of this commitment.
“If we say we want to attract investment and create jobs, the maintenance of our road infrastructure is critical. This is but one of many projects that we are undertaking across the metro. We are also fixing potholes… and improving our stormwater drainage system. This is a metro at work,” said Bhanga.
The scope of work for this project focused on traffic flow improvement as well as the accommodation and replacement of missing side-railings with a polyfibre material in an attempt to prevent further vandalism and discourage the theft of metal.
Another important consideration was preventing potential loss of life. This bridge is one of the major routes used by pedestrians who travel from around the metro to work near the expressway and surrounding areas.
Due to the high volume of both pedestrian and vehicle traffic on the expressway, the municipality’s Roads and Stormwater Directorate added health and environmental awareness posters on the bridge to encourage residents to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
“In as much as this is a road infrastructure project, there is also a health awareness aspect that has been included. Here we are also sending valuable messages reminding the people of the Metro of the vital importance of healthy lifestyles and taking care of the environment,” Bhanga said.
The Directorate is also busy with road resurfacing, the improvement of pedestrian pathways and repainting road-markings across the metro as part of a road infrastructure development plan.
