City of Johannesburg

Johannesburg Development Agency

No 3 Helen Joseph Street PO Box 61877 Tel +27(0) 11 688 7851 (O)
The Bus Factory Marshalltown Fax +27(0) 11 688 7899/63
Newtown 2107 E-mail: info@jda.org.za
Johannesburg, 2000

www.jda.org.za
www.joburg.org.za
To: All news editors
For immediate release
22 September 2021

HERITAGE WALKWAY REACHES PRACTICAL COMPLETION

While Louis Botha’s significance as north-south connection between Alex and CBD is
expected to be strengthened through its transformation as a BRT corridor, the Corridor still
features numerous cultural and heritage sections.

This heritage month we focus on the construction of the Rea Vaya Heritage Walkway, a
heritage landscaping and public environment upgrade project that forms part of the Louis
Botha Development Corridor along Houghton Drive, which has reached practical completion.

The significance of this project, which was undertaken by the Johannebsurg Development
Agency (JDA) on behalf of the City of Johannesburg, rests in the historical value of the
historical stone wall bus shelter and chlorination chamber which is assumed to have been
built in 1939.

Directors
K Phaahla (Chairperson) A Ngcezula (CEO) S Moonsamy (CFO) M Ntanga T Motloung K Marawu T Maepa M Lecoge T Sambo V Ntshangase S Ndlungwane N Veyi S Mokoena SK Sibuyi
R Shirinda (Company Secretary)
Registration Number: 2001/005101/07
The construction of the Rea Vaya along this Corridor necessitated the construction of a
pedestrian bridge parallel to the historical stone retaining wall, hence the inception of the
Heritage Walkway project. The historical stone wall lays the backdrop to the pedestrian
walkway which includes a pedestrian, road widening and paving works.

The over scope of works entailed the construction of bus-bays and installation of bus-shelters,
construction and upgrading of paved walkways, pedestrian ramps, geometric road upgrades
as well as construction of retaining walls and structural steel staircases.

The Rea Vaya Heritage Walkway is located on Louis Botha Avenue Development Corridor,
which lies the north-east of the Inner City, between the CBD and northern parts of the City.
The project was important to ensure that the rollout of Rea Vaya infrastructure along this
Corridor does not have a negative impact on the heritage value of existing heritage structure.

Overall the project objectives were to:

• To rehabilitate the heritage bus shelter site with no impact upon the heritage features
• Provide a suitable and well-functioning taxi lay-by facility and associated facilities as
• required
 • To improve pedestrian connectivity across the site and to Louis Botha Avenue BRT
route
• Develop a unique identity for the site through a high-quality, landscaped public open
space

ENDS

Issued by:

Johannesburg Development Agency

Elias Nkabinde

Email: enkabinde@jda.org.za