Overall Observations

During the appraisal, it became apparent that there were several attributing factors within the hotspot area of influence which have a direct impact on the overall road safety within the interchange precinct and along P339.

Pedestrian Facilities:

Adequate pedestrian facilities along the route is severely lacking. There are footways on the bridge over the N2, but nothing beyond those limits.

Speed:

As mentioned above, vehicles generally travel through the interchange at 60km/hr, but beyond that travel more than 80km/hr.

Turning Movements

Motorists experience delays during the peak hours due to all the commotion at the interchange terminals and are unable to safely turn across a stream of traffic to continue with their commute.

Public Transport facilities

There are no formalised Public Transport (PT) facilities within the interchange precinct which is a major contributor to the dangerous conditions at the interchange.

Informal Accesses

There are several formal and informal accesses along P339. The accesses start at 160m and 200m beyond the interchange terminal points which is in line with the SANRAL guidelines and from these points are spaced un-evenly towards the east and west.

Overgrown Vegetation

The section of P339 to the west of the N2 is generally open for the first 500m, thereafter, the entire road reserve is overgrown and requires maintaining.

Findings

Problem: High volume of pedestrians & Lack of pedestrian facilities.

Intervention Rating

As part of the appraisal process, an intervention rating matrix has been developed to assist the Department in prioritizing the interventions with planned remedial programmes.

Safe Systems Approach

As a result of the above findings, the appraisal team have taken a considered approach to potentially resolving the issues along P339 by considering the safe systems approach to road safety as shown in the figure below: