'Unfinished freeways must go'

It's time for Cape Town's incomplete freeways on the Foreshore to go, says Andrew Boraine, chief executive of the Cape Town Partnership.

"We need a decision from the City of Cape Town that the freeways will not be completed and that the unused bits will be excised with the same precision as the recent demolition of the Athlone Towers," he said.

In 2002, the Cape Town Chamber of Commerce warned that the completion of the Foreshore freeway was "a big unresolved issue" that could affect the development of the central business district and the economy of the city.

At the time, chamber director Albert Schuitmaker said the issue could not be left unresolved indefinitely.

"We need a decision on whether or not it is going to happen, because this could affect every other transport and development decision in the city," he was quoted as saying.

In March that year, the provincial government launched "a broad inclusive participatory planning process" to "reach consensus as to the appropriate development framework and transport solution to the Foreshore area".

Four years later, city transport director Maddie Mazaza said that although the city wanted to complete the freeway, there was no budget to do so.

And in 2007, the provincial parliament heard that the fly-overs would not be completed before the World Cup this year because of a lack of funds.

Earlier this year, Boraine wrote on his blog, "Cities for people" that he was "struck by the sheer waste of space" on the Foreshore, and listed a number of desirable outcomes for the improved use of the space.

The "booby prize" would be to allow the status quo - no decision on completing the freeways - to continue, leaving a "barren urban wasteland" in place indefinitely, he said at the time.

"I know there are many other competing priorities in our city - housing, unemployment, education, health, basic services - but when are we going to grasp the nettle and agree that the second phase of the Foreshore freeways as originally planned will never be built, and that the extra bits must now come down to make space for other needs?" Boraine asked this week.

He told the Cape Argus that a significant amount of land was being "sterilised" by freeways that were never going to be completed, and that the land could be put to much better use by demolishing the unfinished portions and using the "dead space" for projects such as the provincial urban-regeneration project, housing and mixed-use developments. Furthermore, the entire city should be reconnected to the Waterfront and the sea.

"Let's just bite the bullet. We are calling for a decision to be made rather than be postponed," said Boraine.

The overpasses were never completed because traffic volumes did not justify it, said City transport head Mike Marsden. "The idea was to complete it when traffic volumes required it, an acceptable engineering concept at the time."

Their major function since has been as a movie set to the local and international productions - and parking space for the world's biggest vuvuzela.

It might take a while for the city to take the first step and make the decision.

Mayoral committee member for transport, roads and stormwater Elizabeth Thompson said she had repeatedly been asked what was being done about "unfinished bridges".

At this stage neither their being knocked down nor their completion was on the agenda, she said. Although the city was looking at options and the "many proposals" made, the bridges would remain as they were "for now", she added.

"They have been there so long. It is going to take a lot of money to complete a project someone else started."

Ward councillor Belinda Walker said that in the long term everyone would be delighted to see the freeways taken down to free up land and reconnect the city with the sea.

The freeways, both completed and uncompleted, inhibited "sensible planning" in the City Bowl area as far as Woodstock, said Walker. Funding was the main problem.

"I agree they do not look good and we need to come to a conclusion. But what would it cost and what would the added value be?" she asked.

Cape Argus

Posted at 02:11PM Sep 01, 2010 by Editor in Cities and Towns  |  Comments[6]