If you’re wondering when the unfinished Foreshore freeway will be completed and open to the public, you might have to wait for the next nine years. However, this also depends on whether traffic levels would have increased to justify the completion of this bridge.
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This was heard at a parliamentary Questions and Answers session where Transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula was providing details on the plan for the unfinished Cape Town Foreshore Freeway Bridge.
The leader of Al Jama-ah and member of parliament, Mogamad Ganief Hendricks asked Mbalula the reasons why the bridge remained unfinished for the past 40 years. Mbalula said the bridge was the City’s road and the original plan was to implement it in phases. He said when the time came for building the missing portion of it, the predicted traffic for the start date of construction had not materialised.
“A decision was taken to postpone the completion of the Foreshore Freeway until a later date when the traffic had increased to the levels that could justify the completion,” he said.
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He said, since then, the priority changed from road building to promoting public transport and the completion of the freeway was not prioritised above improving public transport and being able to afford the completion of the freeway has been a challenge for the City.
He added that the predicted cost of completing the Foreshore Freeway is in the order of R1.808 billion. “It is certainly the City’s desire to complete the Foreshore Freeway but for this to happen will require a partnership between all three spheres of government. The anticipated duration of the completion of the The Foreshore Freeway project is nine years including the review of the conceptual design, detailed design, construction tender documents preparation as well as construction.”
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Over the years, this landmark has been used as a set for local and international movie shoots and it was also used for parking during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It has caused a furore over the decades with residents wondering and weighing in on the reasons why it’s not completed.
He said the earliest this freeway could be finished and open to the public would be in the 2030/2031 financial year and if the budget is secured on time.
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