The beachfront upgrades at the Table View beachfront, currently occurring along Otto du Plessis Drive, have been in the pipeline for a few years, and are finally becoming a reality which residents, and visitors alike can soon enjoy.
The various construction works, which have been in the pipeline for quite some time, officially commenced last Monday, according to Eddie Andrews, deputy mayor and Mayco member for spatial planning and environment.
As planned, the dune rehabilitation is first taking place where it is “being reprofiled in preparation for rehabilitation,” said Andrews.
“The dunes will be stabilised using wind netting placed perpendicular to the prevailing south east winds,” explained Andrews.
These nets are designed as wind barriers that slow down the power of the wind, allowing the sand to be dropped in the foredune area, building the dune seaward, and as a result, trapping the wind-blown sand, Andrews said.
“The trapping of the sand is critical to reduce wind-blown sand from smothering adjacent infrastructure as is currently experienced in Table View along Marine Drive and Otto du Plessis Drive, and once the netting has been placed, the dunes will be planted with suitable coastal vegetation and irrigated using a combination of treated effluent ground and potable water,” continued Andrews.
The budget for the Table View beachfront upgrades and dune rehabilitation is approximately R114 million.
Once rehabilitated, the dunes will be maintained by the City of Cape Town’s coastal management branch, will include vegetation, and irrigation maintenance, as well as the management of the wind nets and fore-dune area where sand is trapped.
“Depending on the annual accumulation of sand in the foredune area, minor earthworks will be required annually to return accumulated sand to the sea for redistribution on the coastline,” Andrews said.
Complete by June 2024
Positive news for Table View beachfront users is that the group of homeless people currently occupying the abandoned ablution facilities on the beach, will be removed.
“[The homeless] will be removed before demolition commences, and once demolition is complete, there will no longer be a derelict structure for illegal occupation, as the area where the structures is located will become part of the dune,” according to Andrews.
The Table View beachfront project, which has been planned for years, and finally implemented, has been delayed by 12 months due to an appeal on the tender, explained Andrews.
“It was critical for the construction to commence in July 2022 to ensure works are complete by June 2024,” he said.
It would not have been suitable for the City to start the construction in summer when the beaches are popular, and regularly in use.
“Considering seasonality, the period available on the tender, and prevailing winds and climate, the construction was preferred to commence as soon as possible to ensure reduced risk during implementation, and sufficient plant establishment before project handover for maintenance,” according to Andrews.
