Cape Town - The City of Cape Town announced on Tuesday that Camps Bay Drive would be closed for five months for crucial maintenance work, leaving thousands of motorists seeking alternative routes.
The City warned Camps Bay residents to expect major delays along the route which sees about 14,000 vehicles travel along the road every day.
The road is set to be closed from April 20 as the City undertakes major roadworks during the winter months.
“Camps Bay Drive has not been refurbished for the past 30 years,” Brett Herron, Mayoral Committee Member for Transport in Cape Town, said. “This major upgrade will significantly improve the road condition and safety for road users and cannot be postponed any longer.
“The roadworks will unfortunately cause significant delays and inconvenience. I therefore want to urge road users to familiarise themselves with the alternative routes well in advance. About 14 000 vehicles travel along Camps Bay Drive every day and commuters will have to be accommodated on other roads to enter or exit Camps Bay. It is therefore very important to expect delays and to take this into account when planning your journey.”
Transport for Cape Town, the City’s transport authority, will spend approximately R20 million on the project which is set to be concluded by the end of September if everything goes according to plan.
The project entails the following:
Camps Bay Drive will be widened by 1,4 metres on the Table Mountain side between Geneva Drive and Rontree Avenue.
The centre line of Camps Bay Drive will be shifted by 0,7 metres, effectively widening each lane by 0,7 metres.
The road surface will be improved by removing the top surface (25 cm) and replacing it with recycled material and asphalt
Some of the sharp corners along Camps Bay Drive will be slackened to allow for the safe passage of buses in opposite directions
There will be no widening of the road between Rontree Avenue and Houghton Road, but the road surface will be rehabilitated along this part of Camps Bay Drive
The damaged culvert on Victoria Road in Bakoven will be replaced and this will require a stop-and-go controlled traffic accommodation at this section of the road
“Residents will have first-hand experience of the benefits once this project is completed. Not only will Camps Bay Drive be wider, but the road surface will be smooth and the bends will not be nearly as sharp as is currently the case – making the road safer for all of us. I want to urge road users to be patient and to please obey the signboards during the construction period. We can alleviate the worst inconvenience if we plan ahead,” said Herron.
An open day where officials will share information about the project and alternative routes and access is to take place at Camps Bay High School on Thursday.
ANA