The City will start its next road project at the end of October along Kommetjie and Buller Louw roads, and part of Ou Kaapse Weg, and is urging residents to attend a public information session at the King of Kings Baptist Church, Buller Louw Drive, on Wednesday September 21, any time from 4pm to 7pm.
The City will spend about R171 million on this project which is intended to relieve congestion along Kommetjie Road (M65) to the west of the Ou Kaapse Weg (Buller Louw) intersection; along Ou Kaapse Weg/ Buller Louw (M6) between Noordhoek Road and Kommetjie Road; at the intersection of Ou Kaapse Weg and Silvermine Road; and at the signalised intersection of Kommetjie Road and Capri Drive.
The project includes the upgrading and replacement of certain underground electrical and water supply services, as well as the construction of stormwater pipelines.
According to the City’s Brett Herron, mayoral committee member for transport, the capacity of the existing road infrastructure will be improved by turning sections of Kommetjie Road and Ou Kaapse Weg into four-lane dual-carriageways for vehicular traffic. In addition, the intersection at Ou Kaapse Weg and Silvermine Road will be upgraded to improve the sight distance and therefore the safety of this intersection for all road users.
He said the City would also look into having pedestrian walkways separate from the road along Kommetjie and Ou Kaapse Weg. The new road would also have shoulders wide enough to accommodate cyclists.
The intention is to have two-way traffic flow at all times.
“In terms of their contract, the contractor is obliged to ensure that the current road capacity along Kommetjie Road and Ou Kaapse Weg is maintained at all times and for as long as the project continues. In practice this means that commuters will have access to the same number of lanes during the construction period as they have available right now,” he said.
He said this was to limit the inconvenience and delays to traffic as far as reasonably possible and not to worsen the current traffic congestion.
“That said, roadworks are disruptive in nature, and we must say upfront that unforeseen challenges can derail our best intentions and precautions.
“I therefore want to caution residents and visitors to expect some unforeseen delays and to please be patient. We will try our best to ensure the safety of all road users, and to work as speedily as conditions will allow. We will also communicate continuously with the local residents and affected parties through notices and alerts, updates and newsletters with useful information for the duration of the project,” he said.
Residents should register for the updates at the public meeting.
The project timelines and further detailed information about the project itself would be announced in due course. A second public information session might be held shortly before the project started, if needed.
