Goodbye, Oxford-Fleet circle

The Fleet Street traffic circle at the bottom of Oxford Street has disappeared while construction takes place on the vital stretch of coastal link road. When the Dispatch visited the site yesterday it was a hive of activity.

A section of the Old Transkei Road leading downhill to Beaconhurst Drive has been dug up for a week, according to an irate resident, who said the patch was causing drivers to veer into oncoming traffic.

The resident, who asked not to be named for fear of victimisation, said his attempts to communicate with the municipality had proved fruitless and his call was bounced to four different officials, with the fourth never even answering the phone.

The resident went back to the third staffer, who apparently said the problem could be due to a burst pipe or electrical fault.

BCM spokeswoman Bathandwa Diamond said the patch of dug-up road was “a trench for a water connection that was done” – and not a “sinkhole” as had been rumoured.

Diamond said that the obstruction to traffic was being worked on.

“The waterworks branch is in the process of appointing someone to reinstate the road surface. In the meantime they will ensure the trench is filled,” she said.

Diamond added: “The circle at the bottom of Oxford Street will be replaced by traffic lights to ease up the flow on Fleet Street, especially traffic coming from the West Bank side and Gilwell Mall.”