GEORGE NEWS - Members of the public have raised concerns about the safety of the intersection between PW Botha Boulevard and Rand Street, saying that George Municipality's future plans for extending Rand Street through the Metro Grounds housing development could pose serious traffic and safety problems in the area.

A letter submitted to George Herald states that the intersection, which links to Metro Grounds, is located on a "blind curve with severely limited sight distance" for motorists entering from the residential area.

According to the letter, the current intervention of installing traffic signals does not adequately address the problem and may create additional operational difficulties for heavy vehicles travelling uphill from Nelson Mandela Boulevard. Trucks and other heavy vehicles would be required to stop on a steep incline, potentially leading to mechanical strain, reduced mobility and traffic disruptions.

The concerns also relate to long-term transport planning contained in the municipality's Comprehensive Integrated Transport Plan (CITP) 2023-2028, which proposes future road expansions to improve access between Pacaltsdorp, Thembalethu and industrial areas north of the N2.

The letter reads: "It is understood that the Rand Street route may be extended southwards across the N2. According to the Transport Plan: 1) The Rand Street extension from Pacaltsdorp/Rosedale across the N2 linking with the industrial areas to the west and the north will improve access to employment areas from the broader Pacaltsdorp area; and 2) The Thembalethu Local Spatial Development Framework also proposes that a link road from Thembalethu along Nqwenesha Street, past the wastewater treatment works, be considered to tie in with the Rand Street extension to improve access to the industrial area from Thembalethu."

Safety risks for Metro Grounds residents

The letter states that such an extension would channel additional traffic through an already problematic intersection, increasing safety risks for motorists and residents of the Metro development. 

The alternative being proposed is relocating the link with PW Botha Boulevard to a different point further west (i.e. towards York Street), where improved sight distance could be achieved. This would allow the closure of the current access point and create a safer and more efficient intersection.

Houses are on the western end of the Metro Grounds neighbourhood. In the background is PW Botha Boulevard. The alternative proposal is a link from the boulevard to Rosedale Main Road that will pass to the west of the housing development.  

In response to the public's concerns over the wisdom of placing traffic lights at the Rand Street and PW Botha Boulevard intersection at the entrance to the Metro Grounds housing development, the George Municipality confirmed this formed part of developing additional north-south road access over the N2 for Pacaltsdorp and Thembalethu.

This is currently in the planning stages, according to Lindsay Mooiman, deputy director for infrastructure planning and project management in the Civil Engineering Services Department.

Mooiman said the project includes extending the Rosedale main road to the Fourways intersection in Thembalethu, as well as extending Rand Street across the N2 to the Rosedale main road.

The project is currently in the concept design phase and in the early stages of environmental and water use authorisation processes.

The Rand Street and PW Botha Boulevard intersection at the entrance to the Metro Grounds housing development. Rand Street is to cut through the development to link with the Rosedale main road in the future. 

"No implementation timelines are available at this stage, as the subsequent implementation will require significant capital investment." She said the municipality is finalising its roads master plan to guide future road links and urban expansion across the municipal area.

In a further response, the municipality's Civil Engineering Services and Traffic Engineering said the proposed alignment of the new link is supported by its Transport Model, which was completed as part of the draft updates to the Comprehensive Integrated Transport Plan (CITP 2023) and the roads master plan.

'Traffic-related investigations were conducted' - municipality

The municipality said detailed traffic-related investigations were conducted to assess the operational performance of the entire road network, including the PW Botha Boulevard corridor and its intersections.

"The findings identified the sections of road and intersections where improvements and upgrades are required over different time horizons."

It said the current rehabilitation of PW Botha Boulevard between York Street and Nelson Mandela Boulevard has already begun to implement these improvements. 

"All vehicle types, including trucks, were considered, as this is one of the major routes for the bus service. Once all the upgrades have been completed, the intersection of PW Botha Boulevard and Rand Street will function as a fully signalised intersection, improving safety for both motorists and non-motorised transport users."

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