R55 (South Africa)

Last updated

SA road R55.svg
Provincial route R55
Map of the R55 (South Africa).svg
Route information
Maintained by GDRT (Woodmead past Laudium), City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality
Length43.8 km (27.2 mi)
Major junctions
South endM11 ZAF jct.svgSA road R101.svg M11  / R101 near Woodmead
Major intersectionsM1 ZAF jct blue.svg M1 near Woodmead
SA road R564.svg R564 near Woodmead
SA road N14 jct.svg N14 near Olievenhoutbosch
SA road R114.svg R114 in Centurion
SA road R104.svg R104 in Pretoria West
SA road R514.svg R514 in Claremont, Pretoria
North endSA road R80.svg R80 in Daspoort, Pretoria
Location
Country South Africa
Major cities Sandton, Centurion, Pretoria
Highway system
SA road R54.svg R54 SA road R56.svg R56

The R55 is a north-south provincial route in Gauteng, South Africa that connects Sandton with Pretoria. It passes Woodmead, Kyalami, Olievenhoutbosch, Heuweloord, Sunderland Ridge, Erasmia, Laudium/Claudius, West Park, the Daspoort Tunnel and Danville. [1] It connects with the M1, N14, and R80 highways. It is also designated as the P66-1 and K71 (newly constructed dual carriageway sections[ citation needed ]) by the Gauteng Provincial Government. [2]

Contents

Route

The southern terminus of the R55 is a t-junction with the M11/R101 Pretoria Main Road. It then crosses and interchanges the M1 De Villiers Graaff motorway/Ben Schoeman Highway as it heads northwards through Woodmead. Leaving Woodmead, it crosses under the N1 highway (Western Bypass) before interchanging with the R564 (Maxwell Drive) in Sunninghill. It continues into Barbeque Downs before crossing the Jukskei River into Kyalami where it intersects the M39 Allandale Road. Leaving the Kyalami Estate, the M71 Main Road t-junctions the route and they are co-signed for a few metres up to Crowthorne, where the M71 becomes the road eastwards towards Grand Central Airport. Continuing north-east, it passes through the Blue Hills agricultural holdings, crossing the R562 (Summit Road) and entering Centurion, passing through the suburb of Olievenhoutbosch, where it becomes a dual carriageway. It then intersects the N14 highway at Junction 317.

Shortly after crossing the N14, it intersects the R114 in the Heuweloord suburb of Centurion. Heading northwards, the M10 intersects the route from the east close to Sunderland Ridge and later the M24 from the west, close to the Zwartkops Raceway. Continuing to Laudium, the M26 intercepts the route just south of the suburb. Leaving Laudium towards the northeast, it enters Pretoria West as Quagga Road, where it intersects the M22 and stops being a dual carriageway. At this intersection, the R55 turns north as Transoranje Road, passing through West Park and Proclaimation Hill, crossing the R104 and shortly thereafter the M4 Magalies Toll Freeway. The R55 Transoranje Road heads north through Danville where it passes through the Daspoort Tunnel.

Leaving the tunnel, it continues north through Claremont, Daspoort and Booysens, crossing the R80 Mabopane Highway intersection and after a short distance ends as a t-junction with Denyssen Avenue in Suiderberg, Northern Pretoria.

History/Future

Although parts of the road in Johannesburg were widened in 2005, other single-lane sections of the route, especially in Centurion, were in a dangerous state, due to the high volumes of traffic and presence of heavy vehicles causing the road surface to deteriorate.

Renovation of a section in Centurion between the N14 and M10/Wierda Road intersection near Sunderland Ridge began in 2007, with construction largely completed by September 2010. [3] The large Monavoni Circle was replaced with traffic lights, and a dual carriageway was built in this section, with surfaced shoulders to replace the existing narrow two-lane single carriageway. [4] [5]

Also, as a result of a fatal accident [6] the existing N14 offramp from Centurion was converted into a four-way stop temporarily, and traffic lights were later installed.

Extension of the 4 lane dual-carriageway, to replace the section between the M10/Wierda Road intersection and Erasmia, a narrow two-lane single carriageway, passing over the Hennops River, which was overloaded and had severely deteriorated, began in late 2010, and was largely completed by late 2012, along with the installation of lighting on the newly constructed sections, including the previously rebuilt section between Weirda Road and the N14. The remaining provincially maintained (existing) dual-carriageway stretch beyond Erasmia, and part of the municipality-owned section beyond Laudium to the Maunde Street entrance to Atteridgeville was rehabilitated in 2014. [7]

Old routing through Johannesburg

There are a few roads in Johannesburg which have the R55 designation given to them.

Empire road from the Barry Hertzog Road junction eastwards across the M1 De Villiers Graaff Motorway and Jan Smuts Avenue has signs on the road indicating the R55 route (although it is designated as the M71).

In Hillbrow, the road starting as Claim Street southwards, becoming Mooi Street in Johannesburg CBD, also has signposts on it indicating the R55 route. From Johannesburg Central south up to Wemmer Pan (where the road meets the western terminus of the N17 Highway), together with being called the M11 road, may also be called the R55 road.

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midrand</span> Place in Gauteng, South Africa

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">R21 (South Africa)</span> Road in South Africa

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">R28 (South Africa)</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">R80 (South Africa)</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">N14 (South Africa)</span> National road in South Africa

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The R564 is a Regional Route in the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa. It connects Roodepoort with Buccleuch via Northriding and Fourways.

The R114 is a regional route in Gauteng, South Africa that runs from Muldersdrift to Centurion. The designation R114 is applied to sections of road that were previously part of the N14 that have been replaced by newly built freeway sections.

M11 is a major metropolitan route in Greater Johannesburg, South Africa. Historically it was part of the main road between Johannesburg and Pretoria; it now runs through the central and north-eastern parts of the city from Bassonia, passing through Johannesburg CBD and Hillbrow, passing through numerous older suburbs, including Houghton and Orange Grove and the Alexandra Township as Louis Botha Avenue, before it becomes the Old Pretoria Road (R101) and continues to Midrand and Pretoria.

M71 is a major metropolitan route in the City of Johannesburg, South Africa. Starting in the northern CBD, it connects the centre of Johannesburg with the northern suburbs before ending in the outer northern city of Midrand.

The M10 road is a long metropolitan route in the City of Tshwane in Gauteng, South Africa. It connects Sunderland Ridge with Mamelodi via Lyttelton and Garsfontein.

The M24 road is a metropolitan route in the City of Tshwane in Gauteng, South Africa. It is in the city of Centurion, connecting Valhalla with Lyttelton.

The M34 road is a metropolitan route in the City of Tshwane in Gauteng, South Africa. It is in the city of Centurion, connecting Eldoraigne with Irene via Clubview, Die Hoewes and Doringkloof.

References

  1. "RDDA SOUTH AFRICAN NUMBERED ROUTE DESCRIPTION AND DESTINATION ANALYSIS". NATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT. May 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  2. "Road K71 (R55) Portal > Project". gauteng.roadprojects.co.za. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011.
  3. "Gauteng Public Transport, Roads and Works on sod-turning ceremony of R55 roadway". Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2007.
  4. "Road K71 (R55) Portal > Project". gauteng.roadprojects.co.za. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011.
  5. "Velavke.co.za".
  6. "Latest Breaking News news, breaking stories and comment".[ dead link ]
  7. "R55 road opened by Gauteng MEC". Archived from the original on 3 January 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2013.