Official opening of the Sandown Road
I welcome the Public Private partnership that has connected the R27 West Coast Road to the N7 route to the Olifants Valley and Namibia.
This R200 million initiative was made possible by the construction of the Potsdam/N7 interchange built by the Province and the M12 infrastructure built by the City. It was achieved by partnership, and without partnership this country will never develop.
Timeline:
- In 2007, the WCG constructed the Potsdam/N7 interchange at a cost of R60 Million.
- In 2011 the City completed the M12 linking infrastructure at a cost of R65 Million.
- 2012, the City approved the subdivision application for the land to the east of Parklands - determining the position of the Sandown Road reserve and unlocking the development opportunities here.
- Garden Cities, Milnerton Estates and the Aska Property Group commissioned the construction of the Sandown Road Link including the road-over-rail bridge. The tender awarded for this link injected a further R64 Million into the infrastructure here. And during March this year, Milnerton Estates and Aska awarded a further tender for the extension of Parklands Main Road to the north so as to connect with Sandown Road.
This infrastructure investment, totalling R200 million, will improve the already high standards of the City of Cape Town and the Province’s road network. It will mean:
- New routes through the suburbs.
- Link between the West Coast and the Northern Suburbs.
- Improved access to Cape Town International airport.
The new road creates exciting opportunities and re-enforces many of those critical areas in which the City must make progress if it is to meet the needs of its citizens, too many of whom are unemployed and poor.
The road opens up a swathe of new territory in the rapidly growing north west of the city, creating opportunities for housing, economic growth, and most of all, new jobs. Research shows that job creation is what our people want as the number one priority.
For our 350000 unemployed, our new freedoms are diminished, the hopes of 1994 are dashed and a new oppression is created. We must create jobs as if our national life depended on it – as indeed it does.
This new road has also meant the unlocking of the “Rivergate” development that will offer mixed use commercial, industrial, institutional and residential opportunities, as well as see the expansion of the MyCiti service where a need for public transport has now been created. This new link is specifically designed to lock in with public transport, initially with MyCiti and later with rail. Despite many problems, we are steadily moving forward in the field of public transport – and again, the region cannot achieve sustainable growth without safe and effective public transport. MyCiti is beginning to spread its wings and will continue to grow in strength. Metrorail has improved its once woeful performance, and in 2015 the first of 125 new train sets will begin operating in Cape Town. The City of Cape Town has also established the first Transport Authority in South Africa, and has begun to create the linkage with its surrounding municipalities.
Sandown road will also take the pressure off the highly congested roads in the North West of the City.
Further afield, the City of George will begin operating the first non-metro public transport system in South Africa, to be operated by its current bus and taxi community and funded by the Provincial Government and National Transport Department, to the tune of some R500 million. In the fullness of time this will expand to a regional service connecting George with Knysna, Oudtshoorn and Mossel Bay.
Our Provincial surfaced roads are now very close to optimum standard. Some 93.5% of all kilometres travelled in the Province are on fair too much surfaced good roads, and that is better than many first world countries. The province has already met its 2014 target of reducing the maintenance backlog by 16%. All of this was achieved only through partnership – the most difficult of all undertakings but the most rewarding if persisted with.
Media Enquiries:
Siphesihle Dube
Spokesperson for Minister Robin Carlisle
Tel: 021 483 8954
Fax: 021 483 2217
Cell: 084 233 3811