Delayed opening of on-ramp at mall
2005-12-08
A NATIONWIDE shortage of jet fuel has had the knock-on effect of delaying the opening of the new N1 on-ramp from Paarl that was due to open in time for the Christmas rush.
Says Francis Chemaly of Haw & Inglis, “Weather delays and a temporary bitumen crisis caused us to move our target date from 7 to 14 December - we were more than willing to work right up to closing date - but now this jet fuel shortage means that the manufacture of bitumen has been put on hold until further notice.”
Because of the circular formation of the N1 on-ramp and the high traffic volumes expected, Haw & Inglis took the decision to use superior road surfacing containing significant proportions of bitumen.
“We would certainly rather accommodate an unavoidable delay than compromise the safety of motorists by cutting corners,” Chemaly explained.
An integral part of the impressive new R330 million Paarl Mall development included a plan to alleviate traffic congestion on the Main Road and make Paarl easier to access.
A direct route off the N1 at the Cecilia Street off-ramp, plus various other ancillary road upgrades linking Paarl Mall and the N1 to the CBD, have already been constructed by Haw & Inglis and were opened in October this year.
The circular off-ramp, already part of the daily route of Paarl residents, was constructed on the west bank of the Berg River and meets up with Arboretum Avenue and Cecilia Street via a five legged traffic circle.
The on-ramp will be tarred before the end of this year, but will only be declared safe for motorists in the third week of January, according to Chemaly’s estimate.
Haw & Inglis are currently sourcing bitumen from other areas of the country in order to maintain vital arteries such as the N1 as road traffic swells with holidaymakers.
“We may well 'import’ bitumen to complete the on-ramp early next year,” Chemaly said, “if local refineries are still not producing.”
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