R124-million upgrade announced for one of Tshwane’s busiest roads

The City of Tshwane (CoT) has announced that it will soon commence construction on several upgrades to Lynnwood Road, one of the busiest arteries in Pretoria, to alleviate traffic congestion, improve road safety, and enhance overall mobility throughout Tshwane.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of January 2025 and cost in the region of R124 million “which will stem from grant funding,” said MMC for Roads and Transport, Alderman Katlego Mathebe.

The enhancements will comprise:

• Upgrading of existing road infrastructure to accommodate public transport buses in the form of extending A Re Yeng services to the Mamelodi area
• Creation of three public transport lanes within the median of each applicable intersection, measuring 3.5m in width per lane
• Widening of existing roadways around the station areas, resurfacing the intersections, and reconstructing and widening existing sidewalks to accommodate non-motorised transport
• Removal of trees along the construction site, and replacing them with with non-invasive alternatives that will not harm the infrastructure

A traffic accommodation plan is already approved and in place, and will include a dedicated flagman who will be stationed on-site during the entire construction phase, said Mathebe.

Recent upgrades completed

The announcement that Lynnwood Road would be upgraded in 2024 comes off the back of a significant project that recently concluded at the intersection of Glenwood Road and January Masilela Drive.

The CoT constructed dedicated walkways at the busy crossing to provide a safer and more convenient route for pedestrians, which now also includes provisions for non-motorised transport, such as bicycles and wheelchairs.

To this end, the intersection upgrades feature tactiles that guide visually impaired individuals to make the area universally accessible and inclusive.

“Despite our challenges in the City, we remain committed to fostering a city that is both vibrant and responsive to the daily needs of our residents,” said Mathebe.

“The City will ensure that investments and processes are put in place to deliver a transport infrastructure system that works for all the people within an open opportunity society.”

Headline image: JMK, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons