The Buffalo City Metro has made available R9.2-million for the upgrade and update of the Mount Ruth Node plan, which is set to link the country’s second biggest township, Mdantsane, to the N2 and “friendly” N6.
The plan was contained in a recent report to council tabled by acting city manager Nceba Ncunyana. The funds will be taken from “discounted grants of previous years for the Mount Ruth Node”, the report
The proposed plan and route, which was noted and approved in the last council meeting, is planned to link the N2 route with Billie Road going past the Cecilia Makiwane Hospital and the N6 route through the Newlands rural area.
Currently Mdantsane only has two access areas to the N2 and the revived project is anticipated to be an ideal option to the residents as it also will link Cecilia Makiwane Hospital, the N6 and also provide a third revealed. access into Mdantsane.
Ncunyana said the municipality had completed the precinct development plan in 2005 and it was presented to structures within the municipality for approval.
As part of reviving the project, BCM engaged with the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) in February this year. However, the agency reportedly “made it clear that the proposed interchange is not a priority to them and have not allocated any budget towards the construction of the interchange”.
Ncunyana said: “After deliberations, Sanral supported the construction of the interchange at the expense of the municipality.”
He said the upgrading of CMH and the proposed precinct “warrant the construction of an interchange in order to avoid traffic congestion”.
The council approved for Ncunyana to enter into a service level agreement with Sanral as BCM does not have adequate personnel “with expertise in bridge design and interchange design”.
It is not clear as to when the project could commence as BCM still has to source funding for the implementation and construction of the project.
The R9.2-million made available has been budgeted for the design stage and update of the precinct plan.
The project is expected to create “new commercial and business centre combined with the development of a major public transport interchange for transfers between bus and commuter services,” the report read
BCM avails millions for Mount Ruth upgrade plan
The plan was contained in a recent report to council tabled by acting city manager Nceba Ncunyana. The funds will be taken from “discounted grants of previous years for the Mount Ruth Node”, the report
The proposed plan and route, which was noted and approved in the last council meeting, is planned to link the N2 route with Billie Road going past the Cecilia Makiwane Hospital and the N6 route through the Newlands rural area.
Currently Mdantsane only has two access areas to the N2 and the revived project is anticipated to be an ideal option to the residents as it also will link Cecilia Makiwane Hospital, the N6 and also provide a third revealed. access into Mdantsane.
Ncunyana said the municipality had completed the precinct development plan in 2005 and it was presented to structures within the municipality for approval.
As part of reviving the project, BCM engaged with the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) in February this year. However, the agency reportedly “made it clear that the proposed interchange is not a priority to them and have not allocated any budget towards the construction of the interchange”.
Ncunyana said: “After deliberations, Sanral supported the construction of the interchange at the expense of the municipality.”
He said the upgrading of CMH and the proposed precinct “warrant the construction of an interchange in order to avoid traffic congestion”.
The council approved for Ncunyana to enter into a service level agreement with Sanral as BCM does not have adequate personnel “with expertise in bridge design and interchange design”.
It is not clear as to when the project could commence as BCM still has to source funding for the implementation and construction of the project.
The R9.2-million made available has been budgeted for the design stage and update of the precinct plan.
The project is expected to create “new commercial and business centre combined with the development of a major public transport interchange for transfers between bus and commuter services,” the report read
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