Question NW736 to the Minister of Transport
05 April 2022 - NW736
Hendricks, Mr MGE to ask the Minister of Transport
(1)What are the reasons that his department never completed the Cape Town Foreshore Freeway Bridge, also known as the Unfinished Bridge, which has remained unfinished for the past 40 years; (2) whether, in light of the fact that the unfinished highway has occasionally been utilised as a set for television and movie shoots and also for parking during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, his department intends to complete the bridge; if not, why not; if so, by what date is it envisaged the bridges will be completed?
Reply:
1. The Foreshore Freeway is a City road and the original plan was to implement it in phases. When the time came for building the missing portion of the Foreshore Freeway, the predicted traffic for the commencement 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. Since that date, the emphasis then changed from road building to promoting public Transport and the completion of the freeway was not prioritized above improving public transport. Since then the City being able to afford the completion of the freeway has been a challenge. The current predicted cost of completing the Foreshore Freeway is in the order of R1.808billion.
2. 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 |Foreshore Freeway project is 9 years including the review of the conceptual design, detailed design, construction tender documents preparation as well as construction. The earliest the Foreshore Freeway could be completed and open to the public would be in the 2030/2031 City financial year provided budget is secured timeously.