February 4, 2005
By Thomas Thale
JOHANNESBURG has instituted a multi-million rand programme to upgrade its traffic lights during 2005, to combat problems caused by vandalism, heavy rains and ageing machinery.
Construction teams are already at work along Johannesburg's main arterial roads, replacing cables, installing new traffic signal heads, waterproof controllers and fitting new lamps.
Recently the city has seen a number of traffic signals not working, particularly during recent heavy rains, causing traffic snarl-ups at many of the city's intersections.
The city has some 1860 intersections controlled by traffic lights.
According to Barry Botha, operations manager of mobility network support at the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), rainwater can easily penetrate faulty cables or control boxes, causing short-circuits. Other reasons for the faulty signals including an ageing infrastructure, vandalism and electricity outages.
"The cable network is old and it is easy for water to penetrate the cables," says Botha. Cables could also have been damaged due to excavation undertaken by other parties, enabling water to penetrate old or damaged cables, causing the controller to trip, he adds.
The aluminium parts of the traffic signals are a favourite of thieves, who sell them to scrap dealers. The new equipment is made of different materials that have little value to scrap dealers, Botha says. "In all the controllers replaced, we have had no problem. In fact, theft has come down by approximately 70 percent."
JRA will spend R41,5-million upgrading traffic signals in the current financial year, up from the R33-million spent last year refurbishing the infrastructure, according to Botha.
The money will be spent on replacing underground cables at 267 intersections, installing new traffic signal controllers and replacing traffic signal heads on some arterial roads, Botha says.
Intersections currently being upgraded include major corridors such as William Nicol Road, Republic Road, Louis Botha Avenue, Booysens Road, Jan Smuts Avenue, Ontdekkers Road, Hendrik Verwoerd Road, Hans Strijdom Road, Kliprivier Road and Kingsway Avenue.
Botha expects that the project focusing on the intersections along main arterial roads will be completed by June this year.
Thereafter, Botha says, attention will shift to other intersections, continuing until all 1 860 intersections have been upgraded. But that will require a cash injection, he adds. "It will be ongoing as long as we get capital."
Botha estimates that to replace all the cables, controllers and other upgrades will require some R400-million.
Since last year JRA has erected 124 traffic signal controllers and is busy installing a further 351 units, says Botha. Two hundred and twenty-three more units have been commissioned, bringing the total number to 574.
In addition, JRA has also installed 7 000 metres of traffic signal cables, with an extra 91 000 metres due to be fitted.
During the same period JRA installed 1 020 traffic signal heads, and is ready to install 2680 more units, says Botha.
JRA is in the process of replacing 43 000 lamps and revising 155 phasings, often changing traffic lights from two-phase to three-phase intersections.
The roads agency endeavours to fix all malfunctioning traffic lights within three hours, Botha says. However, complications arise when a controller or a cable has to be replaced.
"If an intersection has been vandalised, then it will take long to fix because we have to get a replacement and then have the controller programmed and installed. This could take some time."
Similarly, explains Botha, if there is a cable fault and the cable has to be replaced, this might require drilling, which could take a few days or if a pole needs to be replaced as a result of an accident, it could take up to three days to have it fixed.
To report a traffic light that is out of order, call Joburg Connect on 011 375 5555.
Permission to use web site material
Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as:
- Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website
(www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency
(www.joburg.org.za)";
- If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original
article on this website;
- The name of the article's author is acknowledged;
-
The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill
in this brief online form).
Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 |
