Cape Town - Road Developments

[annman]

Assessment is dated last year March, doubt anything would happen so soon afterwards. Would recon if this is a serious upgrade proposal, may only see construction commence in a year or two.

[SA BOY]

Originally Posted by Hennie

A totally different Cape Town roads question: I havent driven on the N7 between Malmesbury and Cape Town for a few years. ANy knows whether this has started:
http://www.ccaenvironmental.co.za/Cu...20database.pdf

drove it las week to renew drivers license and nothing done

[Marsupalami]

Here are the plans for the toll road building on Champmans PEak - apologies if theyve been posted elsewhere - lets see what all the furore is about ...

http://www.westerncape.gov.za/other/...t_flr_plan.pdf

[annman]

Storm in a teacup! Molehill to mountain! Flesh wound to full blown cardiac arrest! REALLY! It is hidden in the quarry and they even have a green planted roof. I understand the principal thing of Entilini not being the best at public consultation and participation, but really??? I mean really... so much venom at Carlisle, for this... REALLY??!!

[ToxicBunny]

My thoughts exactly..

Yes I want to see renders of what the building will look like in the quarry, but from what I can picture, this will actually look very nice and a damn massive improvement over the quarry

[Eduan]

Originally Posted by annman

Storm in a teacup! Molehill to mountain! Flesh wound to full blown cardiac arrest! REALLY! It is hidden in the quarry and they even have a green planted roof. I understand the principal thing of Entilini not being the best at public consultation and participation, but really??? I mean really... so much venom at Carlisle, for this... REALLY??!!

Emotions and personal attacks aside, the issue is still that a building is being erected on national park land. Hiding it in a quarry, covering it in grass, pointing out it's not really a 'block' does not make it go away.

A molehill may not be a mountain, but that is little consolation when it appears uninvited on your perfect lawn. You would still prefer it not to be there at all.

[Marsupalami]

it will be as discreet and stone clad/ concrete roof with fynbos screening - just like fenicular station at cape point.
On the whole, the National Parks mandated architecture/ blending in policy is very good, cleverly done and esthetically well thought out - this wont be too bad at all - regardless of whether it HAS to built or not

[annman]

Fact is, Entilini signed a raw deal with the PGWC under the ANC-administration. Robin renegotiated it, got the 2 toll plazas smaller and down to only 1. Entilini has not been great to the people of the W.Cape and Hout Bay in particular.

However, it's either allow this more-sensitive, renegotiated single toll plaza to be built, or us taxpayers throughout the province must foot the bill for being in breach of contract and risk Champans Peak Drive closing... the choice is that simple.

I think it's time we build a bridge and get over it.

[Lydon]

Originally Posted by annman

However, it's either allow this more-sensitive, renegotiated single toll plaza to be built, or us taxpayers throughout the province must foot the bill for being in breach of contract and risk Champans Peak Drive closing... the choice is that simple.

And we'd have to settle for two plazas as opposed to one!

[annman]

Cape High Court has dismissed the urgent interdict against the construction of the Chappies toll plaza with costs. Hout Bay Residents' Association will have to cough up for all court costs involved. Am I being mean by laughing?

And that little doberman without a clue, Len, has another little shock coming, Robin ain't laying down...



Carlisle sues over Chappies

March 9 2012 at 02:41pm

INLSA
MURRAY WILLIAMS

Staff Writer

The Chapman’s Peak toll saga has taken a dramatic new turn – with Transport MEC Robin Carlisle now suing a Hout Bay activist for defamation.

Carlisle’s legal power-play is against Len Swimmer, chairman of the Residents’ Association of Hout Bay, around two allegations made in an interview with the Cape Argus a fortnight ago.

First, Swimmer alleged that when Carlisle negotiated a new deal with the toll company Entilini, he had persuaded the company to make certain concessions, in exchange for still allowing the company to erect its planned office block. Swimmer described the office block as a “sweetener” in the negotiations.

Second, he alleged that Murray & Roberts was a major DA donor. Swimmer did not say why this was important – but suggested the office block would offer “lovely views!” – and left it at that.

On Tuesday this week, Carlisle’s lawyers, Fairbridges, alleged in a legal letter of demand to Swimmer that the statements were “intended to mean that our client is guilty of conduct unbecoming to acceptable norms of personal behaviour”.

The law firm said Swimmer had accused Carlisle of being “corrupt”, “having no regard for due process and the rule of law”, and that “aspersions” had been cast on Carlisle’s integrity.

Carlisle demanded through his lawyers that Swimmer retract his comments in the Cape Argus.

Explaining in person today, Carlisle said Swimmer knew the allegations he had made had been untrue – and insisted that Swimmer had defamed him.

In response, Swimmer’s lawyers said Carlisle’s demand “lacks any basis in fact or law, and is accordingly declined”.

Speaking to the Cape Argus today, Swimmer said: “I never accused Carlisle of corruption.

“I was merely repeating what a member of the DA in the provincial legislature had told me, that he could not understand why the company had been granted permission to build the office block, and all that he could think was that Carlisle was ‘handing them a cookie’, as part of the negotiations.

“Instead of being a bully, why does Carlisle simply not answer the allegations? They are not my allegations, I am just raising them. I have witnesses to what the MPL said, and can get affidavits.”

Carlisle said since receiving Swimmer’s lawyers’ letter, refusing to withdraw the statements, he had decided to proceed with suing for defamation.

Swimmer’s refusal to withdraw his comments echo his organisation’s position on the toll plaza and office block.

In the same interview with the Cape Argus a fortnight ago, Swimmer said they would even go up against Premier Helen Zille, if necessary.

[Lydon]

Hahaha priceless! I'm going to enjoy watching this play out

[annman]

Plans for more tolls shelved - report


March 11 2012 at 11:36am
By SAPA

Plans for new toll roads around Cape Town, in KwaZulu-Natal, and Gauteng are set to be shelved, City Press reported on Sunday.

A “well-placed senior government source” told the paper these projects - which included the second phase of the Gauteng freeway improvement project Ä would not go ahead after mass protests organised by Cosatu last week.

“The public protest was successful in this respect,” the source said.

Thousands of people joined protests on Wednesday against the tolls.

The only new toll road which would proceed would be the N2 in the Eastern Cape. But only two toll booths would be built, one at each end of the road, so local traffic would not have to pay.

But the Gauteng tolling scheme would not be scrapped completely, City Press quoted its source as saying. Motorists would still need to pay a toll to travel between Johannesburg and Pretoria. Tolling of the first phase of the Gauteng project was expected to start on April 30.

“If we cancel this project, Sanral (the SA National Roads Agency) is liable for R37 billion debt... We are just going to push ahead,” the source told the paper. - Sapa

[Ron2K]

Anyone know how the link between Sandown Road and the N7 is progressing? (If no-one knows, I'll be up in that part of the world this weekend, so can check for everyone.)

[cwright]

I live four blocks from Sandown and their is nothing happening. It seems to have been put on hold. Absolutely no movement from either side. N7 or Sandown....

[Lydon]

It'll be completed by the end of 2013, apparently.

[Awesome.e]

Any photos of the M5 between N1 and N2?

[Dynamoe]

Anyone know when the M5 upgrade is due to be complete?

[poephol]

Almost there, final layer of tar has been laid in the last week (weather depending), its now just expansion joints on the bridges, couple of gutters that they still need to concrete, so give it another 6 - 8 weeks.

[Caisson Boy]

It's already a much more enjoyable experience driving from the N2 to the N1 and traffic seems to be flowing with greater ease. I'm still just not convinced that having two lanes converge to one over the last couple of hundred metres of the fly-over was such a great idea...

[JohanSA]

Originally Posted by Caisson Boy

It's already a much more enjoyable experience driving from the N2 to the N1 and traffic seems to be flowing with greater ease. I'm still just not convinced that having two lanes converge to one over the last couple of hundred metres of the fly-over was such a great idea...

Its a space constraint on the road the fly-overs run into . Its better for traffic flow and safety to have the lanes "cool down" and converge on the fly-over devoid of the chaos of the road its running into and then orderly enter the M5 . The extra lane on the fly-over is basically there for extra queueing space and traffic "cool down" to increase and optimise the traffic flow in one lane.