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The Watt Interchange, a key artery for the enablement of the Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System Phase 1C trunk route operation, is on track for completion, with 90% of construction scope of works achieved.

The Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA), on behalf of the City of Johannesburg’s Transport Department, has been implementing the construction of the Watt Street Interchange project – one of the City of Joburg’s most significant infrastructure developments in terms of scope and scale.

The Watt Interchange forms part of the Rea Vaya Phase 1C operations from Sandton to Alexandra, along Rivonia Road and Katherine Drive, and the trunk route from Parktown to Alexandra, along Louis Botha Avenue.

The project is an example of how the City of Johannesburg has adopted an urban development policy, which is strongly centred around the need to create compact cities and limit urban sprawl, in order to utilise urban infrastructure and land more efficiently and effectively.

The primary objective of the Rea Vaya Phase 1C trunk route is to transport an average of just over 57 000 passengers a day by 2022. To-date, Phase 1A and Phase 1B are operating with a total daily average of 50 000 passenger trips.

The 2021/22 budget speech approved Transport’s operational expenditure budget allocation of R2 billion. This is anticipated to operationalise the Rea Vaya route between Alexandra, Sandton and the Inner City.

About R800 million has been allocated for the purchase of new buses for the Phase 1C, and R122 million to invest in an automated fare collection system.

“The Watt Interchange is centred around the City’s spatial vision for Johannesburg, that is in line with the Growth and Development Strategy 2040 and based on corridor Transit-Oriented Development (TOD),” said Member of Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Transport, Cllr Nonhlanhla Makhuba.

The construction of the Watt Interchange is located in Johannesburg's Region E, in between Alexandra and Sandton, with the scope of the project spanning from Arkwright Avenue to Chadwick Avenue, along Old Pretoria Road.

The Watt Interchange will connect, through minibus taxis, the greater part of Alexandra Township to the Rea Vaya system – important for the integration of the different modes of transport in the city.

The project upgrade has also seen the construction of new BRT lanes and an underground station, with associated structures and bulk earthworks. Construction work at the Watt Interchange completed so far includes the demolition of the previous bridge and the interchange at Watt Street, upstand concrete beams, allocation and relocation of services, construction decks and retaining wall construction.

Once completed, the Watt Interchange will stand as a high quality integrated public transport interchange, consisting of the following key elements:

•           Underground basement loading and off-loading bays;

•           Commuter Information Area 

•           Designated trunk route

•           Universally accessible facility

“The Watt Interchange will enable the Rea Vaya BRT Phase 1C trunk route to link residents to economic opportunities and provide quality public transport services closer to the people. In this way, we are addressing the ill effects of the past and contributing to growing the residents of Johannesburg,” MMC for Development Planning, Cllr Thapelo Amad, said.

The City of Joburg’s Transport Department is the ultimate custodian of the infrastructure that is being rolled out for the purpose of the BRT Rea-Vaya system – an investment that has been undertaken in conjunction with the National Department of Transport, to realise the overall objectives of providing the required public transport facilities to South African citizens.

Issued by The City of Joburg