Work on an innovative new traffic solution linked to the City of Cape Town’s MyCiTi initiative will commence along a busy Hanover Park intersection.
The freestanding elevated traffic circle is a first of its kind in South Africa and will be constructed at the intersection of Govan Mbeki Road (M9) and Jan Smuts Drive (M17) in Hanover Park.
The investment will benefit the surrounding communities of Hanover Park, Philippi, Lansdowne/Wetton and Yorkshire Estate in terms of traffic congestion and will transform the surrounding landscape profoundly.
This project showcases innovative engineering and forms part of the roll-out of the MyCiTi service to the metro-south east.
It is a massive commitment and will take around three and a half years (44 months) to complete says Mayco member for urban mobility, Rob Quintas.
“This intersection is along the trunk route – meaning the main route – that forms part of the roll-out of the MyCiTi service between Mitchell’s Plain and Khayelitsha and Claremont and Wynberg,” says Quintas.
“Several future MyCiTi routes will meet at this specific intersection, so the City had to consider the impact of the additional bus traffic on the existing general traffic, and the impact of the latter on the buses running on schedule.”
This intersection already accommodates a large volume of general traffic, he says.
“If we were to add buses to this intersection, we would have to implement a six-phase traffic signal that would cause unacceptable delays to all modes of traffic – it was decided to separate the MyCiTi buses from general traffic through a freestanding elevated traffic circle,” he says.
The 6.2 m high sky circle will be constructed for the exclusive use of MyCiTi buses, much like the constructed red roadways in the CBD and Table View areas.
“A feasibility study confirmed that this (circle) is the best possible solution. Also, all road infrastructure should be designed to give the MyCiTi service a travel time advantage over other road based traffic so that commuters can benefit through shorter travelling time,” he says.
The improvements to the section of Govan Mbeki Road from Jan Smuts Drive (M17) to Heinz Road are approximately 2.3 km in distance.
In a statement, Quintas outlined several benefits of implementing this initiative.
- MyCiTi commuters will get a reliable service that runs on time, according to schedule
- Travelling times for MyCiTi commuters will be shorter
- Other road users will benefit from improvements at the intersection below, these will assist with traffic flow, thereby easing congestion
- Pedestrians and cyclists will have dedicated lanes, separated from the road
“The investment will uplift and transform the surrounding area profoundly,” he says.
“Added to this, are the benefits to local jobseekers and subcontractors from the surrounding communities.
About R15 million will be spent on temporary work opportunities for residents who are registered on the local jobseekers database; as well as R15 million for local subcontractors to provide goods and services to the main contractor for this project.”
This circle is one of six projects linked to the roll-out of the MyCiTi service.
“The roll-out of the MyCiTi service to the metro-south east is a massive undertaking and the construction work only, will take about seven years to complete, if all goes as planned.
“The budgets are revised and finalised as projects progress, and sometimes projects are completed ahead of schedule, or delayed, and all of these have an impact on the final costing,” says Quintas.
Preparative work is meant to commence on Thursday 7 July with major construction work only visible a few months later.
“Another important factor is the proximity of the still-to-be-constructed Hanover Park MyCiTi station to the intersection of Govan Mbeki Road and Jan Smuts Drive. This station will be closed, and located in the median, and it is anticipated that it will serve as a major commuter centre,” he says.
Aside from the improved street lights, pedestrian walk ways and cycle lanes, included in this project are interventions to improve traffic flow with:
- the reconfiguration of the intersection;
- dedicated turning lanes;
- improved traffic signals; and
- improved signalisation or sequencing
Existing sewer, water and stormwater infrastructure within the road reserve will be relocated and upgraded, which means improved services to the surrounding communities.
“Importantly, this is only but one of at least six work packages along the western sections of the service. Construction work involving the other work packages will follow in phases, given the magnitude and extent of this undertaking, and to limit the impact of the work on road users and communities,” says Quintas.
Other innovations included are the introduction of NMT (non-motorised transport) which specifically deals with the provision of safe walking space for pedestrians and other road users such as cyclists. “Also, ‘way-finding’ has been introduced to this project where people, not familiar with the area(s), could find their way by following clearly marked directional signs within a 500 m radius, to the closest MyCiTi bus stop. These measures all contribute to the provision of a ‘safe space’ for not only motorised transport, such as cars, other buses, minibus-taxis, etc, but also for pedestrians and cyclists,” says Quintas.
He adds that each of the six work packages is unique and poses different challenges that need to be resolved through innovative planning and engineering. Be it limited road reserves, large traffic volumes, etc. “There will be other projects that will be equally challenging and exciting, but maybe not as visibly impressive as the sky circle,” he says.
Motorists travelling along this route may experience congestion during the construction period.
“The contractor is busy finalising the traffic accommodation plan. This plan will provide all of the details and the proposals to limit the impact on road users as far as possible. We will communicate this plan, and the anticipated impact on all road users well in advance. The physical work on site will only start in August, if all goes as planned,” says Quintas.
