A presentation of the proposed N2 highway realignment and it’s design was shown to those attending the Lourens River Catchment Management Forum last month, when a consultant working closely with the project gave residents a peek into current plans.
Although not finalised and at a preliminary stage ahead of approvals and public information sessions, the design shows, among others, a “flyover” overpass at the R44 and N2 interchange, a tunnel that will run under parts of Helderzicht, and double lanes along Victoria Street.
Those attending the meeting listened with interest to the proposal and noted that the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) was committed to the project.
The plans will officially be presented through public information sessions early next year, as construction is set to commence towards the end of next year.
A progress report on an Implementation Protocol (IP) between the City of Cape Town and Sanral, regarding the management and relocation of illegal occupiers on Sanral properties in the Nomzamo, Firlands and Helderzicht areas, was initially prepared and presented to council in 2022.
The consultant mentioned that the City and Sanral had entered into an IP to unlock the development of the N2 Realignment Road.
The City will implement the human settlements development project, while Sanral will be responsible for the construction of the road infrastructure.
?This programme includes the construction of a road interchange at the intersection of the R44 and N2, which will increase accessibility and unlock the development potential of the City-owned land in Paardevlei. ?
The human-settlements development programme aims to accommodate informal settlements that have illegally occupied the once-vacant N2 road reserve.
It is expected to cost the City between R910 million and R1,08 billion.
The report also mentions the proposed development at Paardevlei will result in the provision of more than 10 000 residential units and nearly 635 784 m² of industrial, retail and commercial land.?
The report provides a timeline for the human-settlements development process, which is expected to take approximately five years, and highlights the need to actively manage the existing informal settlements.
Furthermore, the City and Sanral are implementing interventions such as enumeration of households, law-enforcement measures and regular monitoring to prevent further densification and invasion.
