Westbury-Perth Corridor gathers speed
10 February 2016
The development of the Westbury-Perth Corridor of Freedom – which on completion will bring local residents closer to economic activities, work opportunities, schools and places of leisure – is steadily taking shape.
This became evident on Tuesday February 9 during a tour of the area led by Johannesburg Executive Mayor Councillor Parks Tau following the announcement of a R120-million investment by the Global Environmental Fund (GEF) in the City’s Corridors of Freedom to address apartheid’s spatial injustices and bolster sustainable development.
Westbury-Perth is one of three Corridors of Freedom under development in Johannesburg at present. The other two are Turffontein and Louis Botha Avenue.
Mayor Tau – accompanied by Member of the Mayoral Committee for Environment Infrastructure and Services Cllr Matshidiso Mfikoe, MMC for Development Planning Cllr Roslyn Greeff and MMC for Transport Cllr Christine Walters and several top officials –showed off some of the Westbury-Perth projects to visiting GEF Chief Executive Naoko Ishii.
Also in the touring party were top officials of the Development Bank of Southern Africa, Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) and other City entities. During the tour, officials said work that had already been undertaken in the corridor included the construction of dedicated bus and cycling lanes and ultra-modern bus stops. They said plans for more projects had already been approved.
The construction of a R24-million foot bridge near the Westbury Rea Vaya station is well under way. Siyabonga Genu, JDA’s Senior Development Manager, told guests that the project was 30% complete.
“This is part of the non-motorised transport project. Construction started in October last year and will be completed by July this year. The bridge was a priority for the safety of schoolchildren, who cross this road daily on their way to and from schools on the other side. The project includes the building of a community park and an outdoor gym,” said Genu.
A similar bridge, near the University of Johannesburg, is in the planning stages. Work is scheduled to start in July this year. JDA has budgeted R60-million for the project, which will also include taxi bays and a pedestrian walkway. The construction of a R26-million clinic is expected to be completed by June this year.Contractor Terry Kruger said 65 people were employed on the project. Calvin Cass, a local community liaison officer, said residents had responded positively to the developments.
“The bridge, especially, will make this crossing safe for the children and bus commuters. We're securing the future of our kids through development,” he said.
Jackie van Schalkwyk, 21, a civil engineering graduate, works as an intern on one of the projects.
“I’m getting practical experience. People here are very excited about this. Schoolkids are curious. They stop and ask questions. I’m glad I’m inspiring some of them to study engineering,” she said with a smile.