Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and Councillor Rob Quintas, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, visited the Kuyasa MyCiTi Station in Khayelitsha to inspect the repair and upgrade work at this MyCiTi Station after it was previously completely stripped and destroyed by theft. Read more below:
‘This bus station is now looking beautiful, with upgrade and repair works nearly complete. It is now a safe, welcoming place for commuters and local residents. It was heartwarming to see residents using the station not only to catch buses, but also just as a place to relax in the beautiful gardens. We even heard how one local resident proposed to his girlfriend here. This city facility now demonstrates our care for the residents of Khayelitsha and the pride we want to show in all city facilities,’ said Mayor Hill-Lewis.
The City of Cape Town’s flagship MyCiTi infrastructure expansion across the metro’s south-east will gain serious momentum this year – from new roads and intersections, to bridges, a sky circle, and more. Some projects are nearing completion, while others are beyond the halfway mark, or about to commence, including bus lanes and related infrastructure for the MyCiTi bus service to link commuters from Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain and other communities with Wynberg and Claremont.
The existing MyCiTi N2 Express service between Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha and the CBD is already among the busiest routes in the city, with the new south-east route development set to add more options for safe, affordable, reliable public transport.
The City has started the year with a bang as multiple infrastructure projects are in full swing across the metro’s south-east to provide a direct route to Wynberg and Claremont, including:
. Major upgrades to enable bus lane construction along Turfhall Road and AZ Berman
· Sky Circle construction – a South African first – at Govan Mbeki Road (M9) and Jan Smuts Drive (M17)
· Bridge construction over Duynefontein and Govan Mbeki roads
· Traffic lanes, bus stops, signalling and cycling lanes along Govan Mbeki
· Spine Road depot construction
Mayor Hill-Lewis said the metro-south east MyCiTi expansion is the biggest financial investment in public transport by any metro to date, with over R6bn allocated in the current three-year budget cycle. The City is also completing business plans this year to prepare for the metro’s future take-over of passenger rail as the backbone of a devolved, integrated public transport.
‘We are working non-stop to improve our public transport service offering to Capetonians, as improved mobility means more jobs, economic growth, and better futures for all of us. I’m proud to say that as much as we are focused on keeping Capetonians moving, our efforts go beyond providing infrastructure to also enhance commuter comfort.
‘Precinct-level interventions – like those we viewed in Kuyasa today – have a huge impact on a commuter’s personal experience. Since the enhancements in Kuyasa, the community has played a big part in keeping the area clean and tidy, and locals have come out to enjoy picnics, and in one reported case: a marriage proposal!’ said Councillor Rob Quintas, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility.
MyCiTi expansion projects update
Turfhall Road
In May last year, the City commenced with major construction work along a 1,7km stretch of Turfhall Road (M24) from the M5 intersection in the west to the intersection with Castor and Benona Roads in the east.
Two traffic lanes are maintained in each direction to limit the impact on motorists. The westbound carriageway from Benona/Castor Roads to the M5 has been excavated to make way for new layer works that will increase the capacity and lifespan of the road.
Work will then move to the eastbound carriageway before new bus lanes are built in the road median.
The project is scheduled for completion by June 2027.
Sky Circle
The construction of the freestanding elevated traffic circle, the first of its kind in South Africa, at the intersection of Govan Mbeki Road (M9) and Jan Smuts Drive (M17) in Lansdowne commenced in July 2022.
Work is just beyond the halfway mark with the relocation of underground services and the construction of the eastern and western ramps for the Sky Circle.
Construction of the overhead bridge pier is next. The intersection will be converted into a temporary traffic circle for 18 months to serve as an island for a crane to build the overhead structure while keeping traffic moving around the circle.
The proposed Hanover Park closed median station is the closest MyCiTi station to this intersection and will serve commuters along the trunk route to operate along Govan Mbeki Road. The station will be built at a later stage, closer to the implementation date of the service.
Bridging Duynefontein Road
The relocation of underground services and telecommunications and electrical cables on Govan Mbeki Road, between Heinz Road and NY72 is progressing well.
This involves relocating four kilometres of the bulk water main that connects the Steenbras Dam to the Newlands Reservoir. It currently runs beneath the planned bus lanes and is being moved to the side of the road to accommodate the MyCiTi service.
The construction of a bridge over the intersection of Duynefontein Road and Govan Mbeki Road will give MyCiTi buses priority over other traffic at the intersection, ensuring a quicker journey time than with a private car.
Bridge piers are complete on the east side and precast beams are being built by a local concrete specialist in Blackheath before being moved to site early this year.
Transport of this abnormal load will take place outside peak times and residents will be notified in advance. Once the bulk water main relocation is complete, it will free up space in the median of the road allowing work to start on the western side with piling and support operations.
This project is planned to be complete by the end of 2026.
AZ Berman Drive Bus Lanes
Roadworks are in full swing in Mitchells Plain in preparation for future MyCiTi services and dedicated bus lanes.
The AZ Berman Drive road median is being used to serve north-travelling traffic. Dedicated right-turning lanes have been removed, but are being manually introduced where possible to help keep traffic flowing. This involves temporarily opening a northbound lane at Highlands and Morgenster to southbound traffic travelling from the R300 to AZ Berman Drive in the afternoons.
Similarly, one southbound lane is opened to northbound traffic only in the mornings. This situation will continue until at least April 2025, when work will switch around. Switching over will happen in phases starting with the northern most section and then moving south.
The two newly constructred lanes will be used for northbound traffic, the median will be used for southbound traffic in order to work on the existing southbound traffic carriageway.
It is anticipated that after 12 months, work will move to the median for construction of the dedicated bus lanes.
Govan Mbeki Road, from east of Klipfontein Road to the R300 bridge
Next, the City will commence with the reconstruction of the general traffic lanes, the construction of bus stops, new traffic signals and cycling and walking lanes along the section of Govan Mbeki Road east of Klipfontein Road.
The first job at hand is the relocation of the existing underground services before the construction work can commence. The provisional project completion date is January 2027.
Spine Road bus depots
The construction of two bus depots at the intersection of Spine Road and Mew Way is nearly 80% complete, and will be done by mid-2025 if all goes to plan.
Work is under way on the east depot with external services, such as paving and landscaping. This includes the creative use of permeable paving and retention ponds to limit stormwater run-off.
On the west depot, work is ongoing with the building of administration and workshop facilities, followed by external services.
