Progress update on roadworks between Ashton and Montagu

A plan is in place to make up for lost time on a Department of Transport and Public Works (DTPW) project to rehabilitate and upgrade various sections of the R60 and R62 between Ashton and Montagu through Cogmanskloof. Work on this R583 million contract is expected to be complete early in 2019.

Ashton

At the western end of Ashton, road construction is almost complete between Ashton Cellars and Middle Street. Final trimming, landscaping and road marking will then be done, and permanent road signs will be erected along this stretch. Phase A1 construction is currently under way on the northern lanes between Middle Street and Bruwer Street. Asphalting of this section is scheduled to start in June 2018 along the southern side, and traffic will be diverted at the appropriate time. 

At the eastern end of Ashton, a portion of the southern lanes is complete, and construction on the northern lanes is now under way. Asphalting will be done on the northern side in June 2018. Two-way traffic through the town of Ashton is being maintained without any stop-go signals. There will be a temporary bypass from Barry Street past Kekkel en Kraai up to Ashton Bridge.

Cogmanskloof

Rock blasting is necessary in Cogmanskloof to improve sight lines through realigning the road, and to allow subsoil and telecommunication sleeves to be installed in the cuttings. The kloof will be closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:00 to 13:00 when rock blasting is required. The kloof will also be closed for shorter periods so that gravel temporary bypasses can be maintained. Stop-go signals are in place along the length of Phases C5 and C6 in Cogmanskloof to allow construction work to be done. Motorists can expect to wait up to 20 minutes at these points.

The roadworks on Phases C3 and C4 are complete and finishing work along the edges and the construction of storm water concrete side drains is currently under way. Work on Phases C7 and C8 is almost complete, and finishing work along the edges, including the construction of storm water concrete side drains and stone guard walls, is in progress. A short stop-go is in place in Phase C7/C8 and into the part of Montagu around the Voortrekker Bridge to facilitate the construction of these stone walls and the completion of the bridge and approach slabs.

The new Voortrekker Bridge is almost complete. When complete, traffic will be diverted over the new bridge into Montagu and the old bridge will be demolished.

Montagu

Road construction in Montagu is almost complete. Asphalting in Long Street from Rambling Rose up to Spar will be done in June 2018. All the kerb and channels have been installed. Drop kerbs for pedestrian access are being installed at the intersections.

The sidewalk-related works in Montagu have taken a lot longer than anticipated due to the ongoing changes to boundary walls and fences. Building the widest possible sidewalk from back of the barrier kerb to the boundary wall necessitated the demolition of existing concrete structures which has been a time-consuming exercise. Two subcontractors are working on the sidewalks at the moment and a third subcontractor may possibly be appointed to try to expedite the completion of the sidewalk-related works in Long Street.

Two-way traffic has been reinstated along most of Long Street, since much of the remaining work will take place on the sidewalks. Some of the last work in Montagu will be the reinstatement of the road surface in the side streets.

Ashton Bridge

Construction work on Ashton Bridge is behind schedule, but the team is working very hard to divert traffic onto a temporary bridge before the end of 2018. Once this is done, the existing bridge can be demolished and excavation for two new permanent abutments can start. As soon as these permanent abutments are complete, the new bridge will be placed in its permanent position.

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