Pretoria Avenue and Katherine Street upgrade nears completion

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07-01-2026
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Sandton Chronicle
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The Johannesburg Roads Agency says final tarring, road markings and pedestrian paving are underway, with the busy Sandown intersection expected to be ready for handover this year.

Reinstatement work at the busy intersection of Pretoria Avenue and Katherine Street in Sandown is nearing completion, with the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) confirming that the project has entered its final phase.

According to JRA, surface laying has now been completed, and construction teams are focusing on the last remaining tasks, including final tarring, road markings and pedestrian paving.

Weather permitting, the upgraded intersection is expected to be ready for handover this year, a move that is anticipated to significantly improve traffic flow through Sandton’s core business district.

The project follows urgent underground pipeline repairs carried out by Johannesburg Water earlier last year, which required extensive excavation and subsequent road reinstatement.

In the article published by Sandton Chronicle on October 23, 2025, JRA regional operations manager Khayalethu Gqibitole emphasised that the work was not the result of a road collapse but rather planned reinstatement after essential water infrastructure repairs.

“Johannesburg Water required access to underground infrastructure for urgent repairs, and JRA is now reinstating the road to standard,” he said.

Gqibitole explained that engineers addressed longstanding ground stability issues in the area by constructing a rock fill pioneer layer that also functions as a drainage system.

“This layer stabilises the subgrade and drains groundwater. It’s protected by a geotextile membrane that traps fine particles and contaminants, which means the system will not require maintenance during its design lifespan,” he said.

He added that high groundwater levels had previously weakened the subgrade, but the new engineering design ensures the road will perform optimally under Sandown’s soil conditions and heavy traffic volumes.’