8 April 2022

Road infrastructure innovation at Waterfall

Waterfall takes connecting people very seriously. To provide you with a unique behind-the-scenes look at what this entails, we’re featuring a series of articles focused on one of the core pillars that makes Waterfall the world-class environment that it is – its infrastructure.

To kick off, we look at how we future-proof our road infrastructure.

“At Waterfall, we have taken significant steps to ensure our road infrastructure is of high quality and is well-maintained. We are committed to creating a safe environment that alleviates traffic congestion and helps businesses and residents easily navigate the 2 200ha development. Waterfall connects infrastructure, delivers efficiency, and provides convenience to improve the quality of life of all our residents, employees and visitors,” says Willie Vos, CEO of Waterfall Management Company.

A future-proof environment

Waterfall’s road infrastructure was developed to be as future-proof as possible. Given the size of the area, existing major roads had to be utilised to get in and out of Waterfall while also providing an opportunity for road development within its borders.

“We looked at the traffic planning holistically, considering future volume and size, and engaged with professional town planning and traffic engineers as part of the design process. Easing congestion was a major consideration,” says Vos.

It begins with roads

In terms of infrastructure, two of the country’s busiest highways intersect on the property – the Buccleuch Interchange on its southern boundaries and, towards its northern boundaries, the Allandale Interchange, which is one of the largest free-flowing interchanges in the country and the first of its kind in Africa to be constructed on this scale. These interchanges provide thousands of motorists free-flowing movement into the Waterfall development from Johannesburg’s main arterial highway, the N1.

In 2009, the South African National Roads Agency commenced redesigning the Allandale Interchange to streamline traffic. The project cost R350 million and was completed in June 2011.

“Road infrastructure upgrades are ongoing projects and require detailed long-term planning. About R1 billion has been spent on upgrading the ancillary road network and other infrastructure around Waterfall to facilitate easy access. Apart from the Allandale Road upgrade, Bridal Veil Street, including the bridge across the N1, was constructed between 2014 and 2016, significantly improving traffic flow. The Woodmead offramp has since been upgraded, and construction of the K60 is imminent. All our infrastructure plans reflect the future growth of the evolving city and contribute to making the environment as efficient as possible,” adds Vos.

In addition to these major routes, a series of road networks have been developed throughout the Waterfall area, while all existing roads have also received an upgrade. This has further eased traffic congestion for all Waterfall commuters.

A closer look

Examining some of the road infrastructure projects in closer detail: Maxwell Drive was extended from Tudor Road to Allandale Road. Built by Century Properties in sections, this new stretch has been renamed Waterfall Drive. The section from Tudor Road to the Waterfall Equestrian Estate was built in 2004 and then extended in 2010 to reach Allandale Road. The replacement of all the traffic circles with traffic light intersections took place between 2016 and 2018, and was funded by Attacq, Century Properties, the Mia family, and Curro. Since the upgrade, Waterfall Drive has become a boon to motorists using it as a thoroughfare to various other destinations.

The Woodmead offramp from the M1 underwent an extensive upgrade in 2019. Designed to be free-flowing, the R70 million upgrade was managed and funded by Growthpoint and has significantly reduced traffic congestion since its completion at the end of 2020.

Another major project was the construction of the Bridal Veil Bridge crossing the N1 south of the Allandale interchange and north of the Buccleuch interchange. More than R80 million was invested in building this highway overpass bridge. It was developed by Atterbury Property Development and the engineering firm, AECOM. The superstructure of the bridge is more than 115m long and carries four lanes of traffic, two in each direction. In addition, it features a pedestrian walkway, a cycle track, and a raised centre median that contributes almost 23m to its width. The project includes street lighting below and above the bridge, illuminating the N1 highway and Bridal Veil Street. Construction began in November 2014 and was completed in March 2016, just in time for the opening of the Mall of Africa a month later.

Furthermore, construction of the K60, from Van Der Bijl Avenue in the west to Allandale Road in the east, is in the pipeline. Regrettably, this 24-month project will result in some inconvenience and congestion, as there is a bridge that must be built across the N1. However, it is a high-priority project and crucial to the overall traffic strategy of the Waterfall development.

The road will run between Megawatt Park and St Peter’s College, past Waterfall Country Estate and the Islamic Institute, across the N1 and the Jukskei River, past the Gautrain Service Yard, and up to Allandale Road. Once completed, the new route will shorten the journey across Waterfall and ease traffic flow enormously. It will also help unlock additional sections of land in Waterfall and reduce traffic throughout the area.

Further to all the road infrastructure development and upgrades that have already taken place, Balwin Properties played a key role in extending Maxwell Drive and building a 110m concrete suspension bridge across the Jukskei River to provide easy access to and from the Kikuyu and Munyaka residential developments. Balwin has also constructed Waterfall Boulevard, a 1km dual carriageway that runs through Munyaka to link the Maxwell Drive extension with the K60.

The bridge and a part of Waterfall Boulevard were opened during the launch of Balwin’s Munyaka development in March 2020. The boulevard has since been completed and, when the K60 intersection is finalised, this shortcut will significantly ease traffic for residents in the Kikuyu and Munyaka residential developments.

There are currently six unique concrete structure bus stops along the road, in addition to a walkway as well as bicycle and jogging lanes. Once clearances from Guatrans and the Johannesburg Department of Roads and Transport have been received, Waterfall Boulevard will have five traffic light intersections. Balwin has committed to landscaping alongside Waterfall Boulevard with indigenous water-wise plants, while the low voltage lighting used ties into the broader Waterfall focus on sustainability.

In November 2017, Balwin built the Polofields Drive single carriageway, which stretches from Woodmead Drive (R55) past the Polofields Park, The Polofields residential development and Polofields Crossing to finally link to Waterfall Drive. This road not only provides access for residents and shoppers to these developments, but is also a wonderful alternative route for commuters, alleviating traffic pressure at the R55-Waterfall Drive intersection.

Another new road on Waterfall is the K111 running between the K60 and Allandale Road east of the Gautrain Maintenance Yard. The K111 will officially open once the intersection of Waterfall Boulevard and the K60 is complete.

Several roads have also been built within Waterfall City, the central business district of Waterfall. Constructed by commercial property developer Attacq, Simlak Drive, as well as Karkloof, Magwa, and Lone Creek Crescents have all been added to this precinct.

Fuelling growth

Literally fuelling the Waterfall environment is a plethora of filling stations strategically dotted throughout
the area to cover the myriad of routes into the city. While there are currently a BP, an Engen, and three Sasol filling stations to choose from, Waterfall is in the process of building more. This ongoing growth is critical to cater for demand as the development continues to evolve and become the destination of choice for many to live, work and play.

Proactive maintenance

Of course, the best infrastructure in the world means little if it is not maintained properly. This responsibility falls to the Waterfall Common Services Company.

“We go to great lengths to ensure our road infrastructure is fully maintained. Local and provincial government roads departments do not undertake preventative maintenance on roads and, traditionally, repairs or road replacements are only done after something fails. Early signs of road degradation are when small cracks start appearing in the road surface. This allows water to seep into the base layer of the road which then softens. As vehicles drive over the affected areas, potholes form and ultimately this results in road failure. We fix potholes when they appear, however, our main objective is to prevent the degradation of roads and the forming of potholes,” says Thys Redelinghuys, General Manager of the Waterfall Common Services Company.

“By rejuvenating our roads timeously, we can extend the life of a road by 60+ years. We rejuvenated Waterfall Drive and renewed all the road markings in 2021,” he adds.

With the Waterfall Common Services Company intervening quickly to maintain the standards of Waterfall’s roads, it ensures that the infrastructure is as safe as possible. And while the company is not allowed to replace traffic lights, as these are solely the legal property and responsibility of the local government, it replaces road signs when needed.

“We are vigilant about the operation of the traffic lights. If any of them is not functioning, we will report it and follow up daily until it is repaired. Furthermore, we are investigating the possibility of implementing a traffic control system where we have Waterfall pointsmen available in the event of major traffic lights in the area not working,” Redelinghuys says.

The Waterfall Common Services Company continually monitors all the streetlights in the area. If there is a problem, it is resolved within 48 hours. And, to help residents navigate the sprawling Waterfall environment, the company maintains a network of wayfinding signs.

Waterfall has wider and better-lit roads than neighbouring areas, promoting improved access and greater safety for commuters. “Quality road infrastructure is what is expected of a world-class environment like Waterfall – and this is something we are committed to delivering without compromise,” concludes Vos.

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