Fourways residents fear security and environmental effects as K60 Road project gets underway

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31-10-2025
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Fourways Review
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The K60 Road upgrade is finally underway, but as bulldozers move in, Sunninghill and Midrand residents are worried about more than just traffic delays.

Construction on the long-awaited K60 Road project is officially underway between Maxwell Drive in Sunninghill and Allandale Road in Midrand.

The plans were revealed during a meeting on October 21 at the Midrand Fire Station for this key section of the transport network, expected to improve traffic flow in northern Johannesburg. However, the R200m project has already sparked concern among local residents about noise, security, and property impacts.

Ward 93 councillor Vino Reddy confirmed that the project, which is being undertaken by the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport, is expected to take about two years to complete.

The K60 is being built in three phases, with construction sites spread across different sections of the area. The east side of the Maxwell and Ponte Valle intersection will serve as a main access point for heavy construction vehicles. “With construction comes a range of issues,” said Reddy.

“We’re talking about heavy machinery, increased noise, and new labour entering the area, which raises both security and environmental concerns for nearby residents.”

The K60 upgrade is part of a larger transport network intended to connect several key development nodes, including Sunninghill, Paulshof, and Midrand. The project is expected to create local employment opportunities, with the appointment of a community liaison officer (CLO) and the hiring of workers from within the ward.

However, Reddy stressed that only South African citizens, with verified residential addresses in the ward, would qualify for these opportunities.

He said an audit has already been conducted to give informal dwellings numbers, serving as proof of residence for those living in nearby informal settlements.

More than 50 residents attended a recent community meeting to raise questions about the impact of construction on their daily lives and property values. Among the top concerns were the potential rise in informal settlements, security risks, and traffic disruptions.

Residents pointed to previous phases of the K60, noting that construction activity had led to an influx of job-seeking squatters, particularly around Chilli Lane informal settlement and the Jukskei River system.

“There’s been no audit done at Chilli Lane,” added Reddy. “This makes it difficult to track who is coming and going, and raises the risk of informal camps expanding during the project.”

One proposal, from residents, was to fence off open land near Chilli Lane informal settlement to prevent further illegal occupation. While the current construction focuses on the Maxwell–Allandale section, residents remain anxious about future phases, especially since the stretch between Chilli Lane and Clay Oven informal settlements remains unannounced.

Reddy warned that, once the new section opens, traffic bottlenecks could worsen along Vorna Valley, Witkoppen, and Maxwell drives, which already experience heavy congestion and malfunctioning traffic lights.

“Residents are not against the road. We all understand it’s part of a broader development vision for the city, but people are asking that the short-term effects, the noise, dust, security, and property impact, be properly managed while construction is underway.”