The City of Cape Town will soon start construction of a freestanding elevated traffic circle, the first of its kind in South Africa, at the intersection of Govan Mbeki Road (M9) and Jan Smuts Drive (M17) in Hanover Park.
For the exclusive use of the MyCiTi bus service, the “hollow circle in the sky” will stand approximately 6.2 metres above ground.
The investment will benefit the surrounding communities including Philippi, Lansdowne / Wetton, and Yorkshire Estate by ensuring a reliable MyCiTi service that runs on time, according to schedule, with travel times shortened for commuters. It will also assist with traffic flow, easing congestion for other road users with a dedicated lane, separated from the road, for pedestrians and cyclists.
By separating the MyCiTi buses from general traffic, the City will ensure the service operates optimally between Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha and Wynberg and Claremont without being delayed by the traffic or congestion at the ground level of the intersection.
The proposed Hanover Park closed median station is the closest MyCiTi station to this intersection and will serve commuters along the trunk route to operate along Govan Mbeki Road. The station will be built at a later stage, closer to the implementation date of the service.
Existing sewer, water and stormwater infrastructure within the road reserve will be relocated and upgraded, which means improved services to the surrounding communities.
“The City of Cape Town’s expenditure on the roll-out of the MyCiTi service to the metro-south east is the biggest financial investment in public transport by any metro city to date”, commented the City’s Mayoral Member for Urban Mobility, Councillor Rob Quintas.
“We are working day and night to improve our public transport service offering to Capetonians. This offering includes the expansion of the MyCiTi service footprint”.
“Public transport should be accessible, convenient, affordable, reliable, and safe … Improved mobility means improved productivity, more jobs and economic growth, and better lives and futures for all of us who call Cape Town home”.
The City estimates that 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 provides goods and services to the main contractor for the project.
Construction is scheduled to begin on the 7th of July 2022 with an approximate four-year development timeline.
