The City of Cape Town has announced the commencement of a project to extend the popular St James coastal walkway, a beloved public space used year-round by residents and visitors alike.
The long-term vision is to see the walkway stretch all the way from Muizenberg’s Surfer’s Corner, through St James and onwards to Clovelly Corner.
Funding
The project has been made possible through a generous donation from an anonymous Cape Town family, that approached Cape Town Executive Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis last year with a proposal to fund the walkway’s extension.
The family, who has chosen to remain anonymous, offered to contribute financially to extend the walkway between these points, and their funding will support the construction of the first phase of the extension.
To this end, the City has appointed a team of professional coastal engineers to prepare a high-level concept design and preliminary costing for the extension, which will be carried out in manageable sections.
A critical part of this initial work involved engaging with the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), given the proximity of both the existing and future walkway alignment to the railway line that runs along this stretch of coast.
Beach upgrades
The Muizenberg beachfront is still undergoing upgrades set for completion in December.
The refurbishment entails major upgrades to public amenities and the replacement of the aged seawalls.
This forms part of the City’s investment in popular beachfront areas, to mitigate the impact of climate change on the beachfront and improve the quality of infrastructure in the area.
Work is continuing along the western corner of the promenade, where concrete is being cast on site to create a seamless connection with the precast sections already installed along the main beachfront.
A key engineering feature of the project is the installation of scour aprons beneath the beach.
Scour aprons are protective, erosion-resistant barriers installed around the base of structures like bridge piers, seawalls and culverts.
Those early engagements have reportedly been positive, subject to the required detailed design approvals and full compliance with all rail safety requirements.
Designs
With the concept design and preliminary costing in place for the walkway project, the City is now initiating the formal processes needed to move the project forward.
These include an environmental impact assessment, which will incorporate the outcomes of public participation, during which communities and interested parties have an opportunity to heard on the possible changes.
Detailed engagement will also take place with relevant decision-making authorities and stakeholders, including national and provincial government departments, Prasa, SANParks and heritage authorities.
In parallel, further technical design work, costing, and implementation planning will be undertaken.
Hill-Lewis expressed his gratitude to the donor family, highlighting the significance of their contribution.
“Extending the walkway beyond St James will improve public access to this beautiful part of our coastline,” said Deputy Mayor and Mayco member for Spatial Planning and Environment Eddie Andrews.
“I’m very grateful to this family for their generosity. This commitment is also an opportunity to set a long-term vision for this coastal walking route, and the City will work carefully with all relevant stakeholders as the project progresses.”
The City will keep the public informed as the project progresses through the required planning, consultation, approval, and design processes.
“The intention is to extend the walkway from St James, where it currently ends, all the way to Clovelly Corner. Further funding opportunities may be explored in future to fulfil this long-term vision. For now, we are preparing for the public participation and other processes that will focus on the first phase of the project made possible by the generous funding from the Cape Town family. We will keep the public informed.”
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