Residents can comment on plans for an overpass and road closures as part of the public participation process for the MyCiTi bus service in Wynberg.
A route alignment is planned from the M5 and Ottery Road interchange to the Main Road (M4) via South and Waterbury Roads as the City of Cape Town is preparing for the construction of the infrastructure and is in the process of finalising the design. Residents can comment up until Friday August 18 on the bridge over the railway line as well as the full and partial road closures.
The concept was approved by council four years ago and since then the design has been further developed to accommodate a bridge crossing the Southern railway line to accommodate four lanes – one in each direction for the MyCiTi buses and one in each direction for vehicular traffic and walking and cycle lanes. As a result a number of roads intersecting with South Road and Waterbury Road will need to be permanently fully or partially closed. The roads include: Waterbury, Ashbury, Honiton, Chudleigh, Batts, Stella, Lympleigh, Sussex, Rotherfield, Woodley, Milford, Platoon, Troop, Evremonde, Churchill, Napier and Portswood roads.
The bridge over the railway line will be aligned along South Road on the eastern side of Wynberg with the elevation starting at the intersection with Honiton Road and will be aligned with Waterbury Road on the western side with the elevation ending at the intersection with Main Road and will be about 60m in length from abutment to abutment, and will be about 8m above ground level and about 27m wide. It will be fitted with street lighting, and will span Brampton Road, the railway line, and Exeter Road, and will not impact accessibility along either roads.
Rob Quintas, Mayoral committee member for urban mobility, said the proposed partial and full road closures will improve the safety of the public transport and private vehicles, and ease traffic flow and that all residents will still have access to and from their properties.
“The roll-out of the MyCiTi service will transform Wynberg…the new MyCiTi related road infrastructure will assist in alleviating general traffic congestion where the service is rolled out.”
He said one of the the biggest reasons for the traffic congestion in the greater Wynberg area is the missing road links that should connect the eastern and western sides of Wynberg and that commuters have few options to cross the Southern railway line that runs through the heart of Wynberg.
“The intention is to connect Main Road and Ottery Road by building the missing link along South and Waterbury roads. The proposed overpass will give the Wynberg and Plumstead areas an additional crossing of the railway line and this will relieve the traffic pressure on Rockley and Victoria Roads and will benefit pedestrians and cyclists.
To comment on the proposals residents can attend a public information session on Thursday July 20 at the William Herbert sports facility hall, from 3pm to 7pm, visit the City’s website at: www.capetown.gov.za/haveyoursay, send an email to transport.news@capetown.gov.za or submit written comments to Sub-council 20 at the Alphen Centre in Constantia Main Road, Constantia.
