Tree felling in Rosebank and Sandton will begin this week to make way for the Gautrain, the company said on Monday.
Golden trumpet trees will be removed along Sturdee Avenue in Rosebank and one lane of the road will be closed to traffic during off-peak times, said Barbara Jensen, spokesperson for Gautrain Rapid Rail Link.
She said the trees will make way for traffic diversions. The removal is guided by an environmental management plan approved by the City of Johannesburg.
The diversions will allow traffic to flow during construction, Jensen said.
In Sandton, trees on the concrete island in the middle of Katherine Street will be felled and the lanes widened to accommodate traffic during construction.
The tree felling is expected to last about three-and-a-half months. The trees will be relocated and those that are felled will be replaced.
Jensen said that the new trees will be maintained by Gautrain for up to a year after construction, as stipulated by the City of Johannesburg.
Last month a full bench of the Pretoria High Court dismissed an application by the Muckleneuk/Lukasrand property owners and residents association to stop the Gautrain from running through their area.
The association asked the court to set aside decisions by Gauteng’s department of conservation head and the provincial minister authorising the development of the Gautrain in terms of the Environment Conservation Act.
Advocate for the residents, Fiona Southwood, also said the provincial minister might have been biased towards the project because Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa championed it.
Gilbert Marcus SC, arguing on behalf of the minister and the department, said it was unlikely that the minister would not approve the project. — Sapa