The Proposed Rehabilitation Of Main Road From Atlantic Road, Muizenberg

THE PROPOSED REHABILITATION OF MAIN ROAD FROM ATLANTIC ROAD, MUIZENBERG TO CLOVELLY ROAD, CLOVELLY COMMUNITY LIAISON MEETING # 10 MINUTES DATE: VENUE: TIME: FACILITATOR: 1.

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Tuesday, 24 November 2009 Bay Primary School, Clairvaux Road, Kalk Bay 17h30 – 19h00 Sadia Chand, Chand Environmental Consultants CC

ATTENDEES PROJECT TEAM FULL NAME

INITIAL

ORGANISATION

I. McDonald

IM

City of Cape Town

M. Doubell

MD

City of Cape Town

A. Rush

AR

Kayad Consulting Engineers

R. Hoogwerf

RH

Kayad Consulting Engineers

R. Starke

RS

Civils 2000

C. Ford

CF

Civils 2000

S. Chand

SC

Chand Environmental Consultants

MvB

Chand Environmental Consultants

M. van Breda

K. Diedericks KD Chand Environmental Consultants INTERESTED AND AFFECTED PARTIES NAME D. Stuart-Findley

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INITIAL DS-F

ORGANISATION Kalk Bay Historical Society

N. Grant

NG

Simon’s Town Civic Association

M. Du Toit

MD

Carisbrook Flats Body Corporate

C. Tyler

CT

Sustainable Energy Africa

D. Qually

DQ

Muizenberg Ward 64 Councillor

L. Aylen

LA

Star of the Sea Primary School

B. Stafford

BS

Kalk Bay/St James Ratepayers Association

OTHERS INVITED P. Booth

City of Cape Town

D Zimmerman

Cape Medical Response

S. Liell-Cock

Chairman: Far South Community Peninsula Forum

T. Trimmel

Kalk Bay/St James Ratepayers Association

J. Hamlett

Bay Primary School

A. Espey

Interested and Affected Party

K. Sturgeon

Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust

D. Hartnick

St James Retirement Hotel

I. Pursch

Newlands Rotary

C. Tyler

Sustainable Energy Africa

F. Purchase

Simon’s Town Ward 69 Councillor

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J. Holwill

Fish Hoek Ratepayers Association

A. Leader

City of Cape Town: Disaster Risk Management

S. Botes

Kalk Bay Safety Services

P. De Villiers

Simon’s Town Civic Association

K. Price

False Bay Volunteer EMS

I. Garthoff

CCFM

F. Botha

CCFM

R. MacPherson

Muizenberg/Lakeside Residents and Ratepayers Association

M. Townsend

Kalk Bay Business Owners Association

G. Hill

Muizenberg Historical Conservation Society

R. De Beer

Metrorail: Area Manager

M. Saffer

False Bay Echo and Resident

T. Goduka

Naval Dockyard

R. Taylor

Golden Arrow Bus Services

J. Luker

Two Oceans Marathon

B.V. Walters

SA Navy

Y. Staniforth

Star of the Sea School

S. Hollerman

Table Mountain National Park

J. Sutherland

Armscore Dockyard

L. Pietersen

Muizenberg Residents and Ratepayers Association

A. Rose-Innes

Fish Hoek Ratepayers and Residents Association

G. Musikanth

False Bay Tourism and Business Association

W. Peterson

Kommetjie Environmental Awareness Group

J. Paterson

St. James, Kalk Bay Residents and Ratepayers Association

N. Holderness

Fish Hoek Ward 61 Councillor

C. Albert

Cape Town Tourism: Local Area Manager

S. Ralston

CapeNature

G. Pillay

City of Cape Town: Disaster Management and EMS

M. Mansoor

City of Cape Town: Economic and Social Development

D. Martheze

Department of Transport and Public Works

C. van Wijk

Heritage Western Cape

Dr. K Grammer

Western Cape Department of Health

G. Conradie

Cape Medical Response

Dr. C Robinson

Department of Health: Directorate Emergency Services

A. Cunningham

The Department of Health

D. Hillebrand

Transport Road and Stormwater Network Operation: Incident and Events Management

A. Greenwood

Department of Environmental and Heritage Resource Management, CCT

J. Hodson

Friends of Simons Town Coastline & Peninsula Forum

S. Bebelele

Metrorail

G. Ashton

Noordhoek Environmental Action Group

C. Janse van Rensburg

Pedal Power

I. Scott

Metrorail

R. Walker

Metrorail

G. Gordan

Principal: St James Primary

G. Herring

St James Retirement Hotel

M. Bassenger

Transtel

C. Sowray

Two Oceans Marathon

P. Dowling

WESSA

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3.

INTRODUCTION

3.1

Background Sadia Chand (SC) welcomed everyone present on behalf of the City of Cape Town’s (CCT) Main Road Upgrading project, from Atlantic Road, Muizenberg to Clovelly Road, Clovelly. th

SC pointed out that the last Community Liaison Meeting #9 was held on 6 October 2009. SC outlined the agenda and explained that since October 2009 the email notifications listed below were sent out to registered I&APs. Furthermore, an update newsletter was distributed to all th the I&APs on 16 October 2009. •

20 November 2009: Detailed instructions for the red arrows on traffic lights, indicating the direction of the traffic flow (flashing vs frozen arrows).

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23 November 2009: th th Notification of streetlight installation on 24 and 25 November in the areas that Carisbrook residents are currently parking. Residents are asked to kindly ensure to either arrange alternative parking, or utilise the new parking embayment during this time.

SC explained that this Community Liaison Meeting #10 would be the last meeting held in 2009 and that the next meeting would be scheduled for February 2010.

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Key Concerns Raised by I&APs and Response provided by the Project Team SC noted that many issues were raised by interested and affected parties since the last meeting and that all issues have been responded to by the project team, as tabled below.

I&AP CONCERNS

PROJECT TEAM RESPONSES

Re-use of stone from steps and walls of subway The stones are to be reused. opposite Carisbrook Subway. cleaned and relayed. Flashing red arrows not visible from driveways make it difficult to see the direction of traffic flow. Some residents can only exit their properties in reverse which is problematic. Alternative parking during construction.

The stones will be

This has been addressed and adjusted. In extreme cases the Engineers and Contractors can look at finding individual solutions, where possible.

Parking has been made available opposite Carisbrook. This parking is mainly used by Carisbrook residents at night but is available to the public during the day. The area next to St James station and Rhodes Cottage is also available for parking. Restoration of parking bays on sea side of Main A section of the existing road near the traffic signal has Road. been made available for casual parking and the parking bays on the sea side will be restored in time for the December holidays. Request for ‘Keep Clear” box to be painted on St No ‘Keep Clear’ box will be necessary as the road will James Road intersection. be opening to two-way traffic for the holiday period. Come January 2009 this intersection will be inside the roadworks. Rubbish bins to be put along Main Road to control The City of Cape Town will make provision for litter. additional rubbish bins to be provided along the completed section of Main Road. On-going management of illegal informal traders. Specialised Law Enforcement Services have introduced an overtime shift that will attend to this problem in the evenings. They are committed to assist with enforcement in the area. Pointsman to be stationed at Main Road / Boyes According to the CCT, this is not a viable option under Drive intersection to relieve traffic congestion. the current circumstances. Compiled by Chand Environmental Consultants December 2009

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I&AP CONCERNS

PROJECT TEAM RESPONSES

Obstruction of middle barrier in Main Road during The middle barrier has to remain in place as a safety December holiday period when open to 2-way traffic. measure given the current difference in road levels. Residents will unfortunately need to enter and exit their properties using left turns only for the duration of the holiday period. Traffic control at Star of the Sea Primary School. A flagman has been appointed to be on site specifically for Star of the Sea from 08h00 to 08h45 and 15h00 to 16h40 weekdays. Why is there no break in construction works during The CCT decided to allow the construction work on the FIFA World Cup (June 2010). The road should be Main Road to continue through the FIFA World Cup. A open to 2-way traffic during the FIFA World Cup to temporary closure during FIFA World Cup would result accommodate the influx of tourists to businesses and in an approximate cost implication of R2 million and a 2 accommodations in the far south. to 3 month delay in the completion programme. There is no contractual FIFA requirement required that Main Road should be open to its full width during the World Cup. Traffic lights at Kalk Bay Harbour changing red too This has been checked and found to be a hardware quickly and causing traffic congestion. problem that has now been repaired. Kalk Bay programme of works.

Section 4, the remainder 2.2km section from Leighton Road to Clovelly Road, Clovelly (including Kalk Bay) is anticipated to start in early 2011. Kalk Bay businesses will be notified timeously of the programme of works.

Measures being undertaken to accelerate the The Contractors have undertaken to work extra hours completion of the construction process. during the week and on weekends. Restoration of garden at Carisbrook Subway.

Provision of private demarcated parking bays on pavements for residents without private garages.

Power Outages

Very little garden will remain once the Carisbrook Subway is moved back into the railway reserve so as to provide additional parking embayments and a wide enough walkway. If there is sufficient space, a garden will be re-instated at the subway. This is unsafe, undesirable and not acceptable. Providing parking on the public footway would not only compromise pedestrian safety but would also cause additional risks for motorists. Granting permission for this request would create an undesirable precedent. Contractors have upgraded the traffic system so that it will be operated by generator power should there be any further power cuts. Residents with limited site distance should try to reverse into their driveways. The Engineers will try and assist with individual solutions to this problem, wherever possible.

Blind Rises - Some residents have complained that they are at risk when exiting their garages onto Main Road. The problem is that the limited space requires them to perform a three-point turn, with limited sight distance. The waiting time at the stop-go is longer on This is as a result of weekend traffic. The Contractors weekends and causes longer queues and frustration. are aware of this problem and have erected additional What can be done about this? signage to encourage motorists to use Boyes Drive on weekends. Re-instatement of streetlights. The street lights will be reinstated by no later than 4th December 2009. Damage to private construction activities. Traffic incidents

property

as

a

result

of Please contact Chris Ford of Civils 2000 directly to report any such incidents. All traffic incidents are recorded on CCTV. Over 80 incidents have been recorded many of which indicate drivers disobeying red lights. Incidents should be followed up with the Traffic Department as these are traffic offences. The Traffic Department will issue summons based on available evidence. Lack of litter management and degradation of The Contractor will ensure that all camp areas are kept grassed area at construction site (opposite Rodwell reasonably tidy at all times. All grassed areas will be House). landscaped upon completion. Compiled by Chand Environmental Consultants December 2009

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I&AP CONCERNS

PROJECT TEAM RESPONSES

Request for flagman to be stationed at St James The Resident Engineer will instruct the Star of the Sea Retirement Hotel entrance to ensure that the yellow Primary School flagman to control traffic at entrance of zone is kept free to allow residents to enter and exit. St James Retirement Hotel given his close proximity. SC then handed over to the Resident Engineer, Andrew Rush (AR) who presented an update on the progress of works to date. 3.3

3.4

3.5

Progress on Section 2: Southbound Carriageway •

The 600mm bulk water main has been laid and tested.

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The walkway supports are complete and await the completion of the top slab and handrails.

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Carisbrook subway is behind schedule and is currently affecting the completion of the adjacent section of road

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The kerbing and water-bound macadam sub-base are on track, BTB is scheduled for th 4 December.

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Electrical distribution boxes have been moved, except the major feed to Carisbrook Substation which we hope will be done next week.

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New street lights will be erected during this week and energised shortly thereafter.

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The site will be cleaned and tidied; barriers and signage adjusted and the road will be th th opened to two-way traffic for the holiday period (11 December 2009 to 11 January 2010).

Current Project Programme – Revision 10 •

Progress has been delayed by the recent wet weather and to compensate for the lost time, the working hours have been extended and weekend work has been undertaken to catch up, where possible.

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The Bitumen Treated Base has been programmed for 4th December. This operation is expected to take 2 days and will be the temporary “riding-surface” until the completion of Section 2 Northbound.

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Two-way traffic separated with concrete barriers will be in operation during the December holiday. Residents will not be able to turn right into Main Road.

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We are on track to complete a section of the embayed parking before the holiday period to accommodate those residents that are currently using part of the existing road on Section 1.

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The balance of Section 2: Southbound is to be completed by the end of March 2010.

Updated Project Programme •

Section 2: Northbound is programmed to start on 29 March 2010 and be completed in mid June 2010.

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Section 3: Southbound is programmed for completion on 1 October 2010 and includes the extension of the pipe work to Dalebrook.

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Section 3: Northbound and the end of the contract for Phase 1 is scheduled for 10 December 2010.

These programmed dates are based on the production rates achieved in Section 1 & 2: Southbound and Section 1: Northbound.

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3.6

4.

COMPLETION PROGRAMME:

Task

Start

Finish

Section 1

31/03/2008

14/09/2009

Section 2 Southbound

14/09/2009

26/03/2010

Section 2 Northbound

29/03/2010

11/06/2010

Section 3 Southbound

14/06/2010

01/10/2010

Section 3 Northbound

104/10/2010

10/12/2010

DISCUSSION •

RS pointed out that the Contractors had received many compliments regarding the completed sections of road, in respect to the visual aspect and the riding quality. -

AR agreed and added that once the next section was completed they could expect many more such compliments.

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RS explained the during the upcoming holiday season, residents would have to enter their driveways from the left only as a concrete barrier will be erected between the two lanes. He further explained that this is for safety reasons given that the two sides of the road are at different levels.

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AR added that one resident in particular, Jane Mayne, would experience problems exiting her driveway as her garage was too close to Main Road. He indicated that he had arranged to meet with her to try and find a solution and added that he would suggest that she reverse into her garage thereby making it easier to exit.

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DSF queried if installing a red light at the entrance to Jane Mayne’s garage could be a possible solution, as it would only be required for the duration of the upcoming holidays. -

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AR replied that the operation of a red light by an individual would be problematic. A warning sign may be necessary to slow the traffic.

MD pointed out that there are four garages at Carisbrook Flats and that the public were generally very courteous with respect to allowing vehicles through for parking.

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DSF pointed out that the first completed section of works added no real recreational value to Main Road but that once the second section was completed it would provide parking bays as well as a widened footpath which should make people happy. DSF noted that the second section of works was taking less time to complete than the first section and that he hoped this improved rate would continue. -

AR indicated that the first section of works had been a learning curve which has served to inform the works in this next section, thereby making it easier to move forward at a more rapid rate.

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RS agreed and further noted that there was new management on site and that things were working better as a result.

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DQ noted that drainage had also been a big problem during works on the first section given that it was located on the mountain-side of the road.

DQ questioned why time forecasting seemed to be more accurate this time around and asked what programme predictions there were for 2010. -

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AR agreed that this was correct and indicated that pedestrians should cross over to the other side at such points. However, he noted that there would be the added advantage of having the parkway on the left which would be safe for walking.

CT queried whether the problem of motorists driving in the opposite direction of traffic flow would be investigated. -

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AR explained that the 20 minute delay displayed on the variable messaging boards were deliberate to try and discourage the use of Main Road and encourage use of the alternative routes indicated. He indicated that a 20 minute delay was seldom experienced.

CT noted that even though the road would be open full width during the holiday period that there would be sections of the walkway which will not be completed thereby preventing pedestrian access during this time. -

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AR answered that there was a “keep clear” sign at the pedestrian crossing, that flagmen were stationed at certain points and that “keep clear” had been painted on the box outside Star of the Sea Primary School. AR indicated that it would be possible to erect additional signage which would help to ease the pressure at intersections.

DQ asked if it was possible to reduce the long delays at the stop-go. He noted that the variable messaging boards often indicated a 20 minute delay. -

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AR responded that the team can only programme what is anticipated and that the programme will be reconfigured depending on the completion of section 2.

DQ queried if any “keep clear” signs were going to be erected as, although most intersections are kept clear, it was very frustrating when they were not. -

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AR pointed out that people are not as generous as they normally are due to the frustration they are experiencing with respect to traffic congestion.

AR responded that all incidents were being recorded by CCTV and that 87 incidents have been recorded thus far. AR confirmed that traffic offences would be taken up with the traffic police for enforcement.

CT noted that there was a clear programme delay and questioned how additional costs, as a result of the delays, were being dealt with. -

RS explained that this depended on the nature of the claim. He further explained that in the case of a legitimate claim, the City of Cape Town would be responsible for the costs. However, extra costs incurred as a result of other delays would be the Contractor’s responsibility.

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CT queried what the claim process entailed and if the project budget had been exceeded as yet. -

AR explained that Robin Hoogwerf from Kayad Consulting Engineers would firstly make a recommendation to the City of Cape Town with respect to the claim process.

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RH further explained that although there were changes to the scope of the project, value had been gained and that the project has not yet gone beyond the contingency yet.

BS asked if the project team would consider splitting the lanes from the intersection at Clairvaux Road in the direction of Fish Hoek, to stream traffic into two lanes, left and right, as it is currently causing congestion. -

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IM indicated that this was a good suggestion and confirmed that the City of Cape Town would take it up with the Traffic Engineer.

LA enquired as to who the responsible authority would be in terms of signage erection on lamp posts. She pointed out that a hotel had erected a sign on a pole directly in the middle of the pavement on Boyes Drive. This was proving to be dangerous and obstructed pedestrian flow given its location in the middle of the pavement. -

6.

AR added that there had been a generous contingency built into the original contract to account for the many unknowns which have subsequently materialised on the project.

IM indicated that he had seen the sign in question and that he would check with the Traffic Engineer whether the sign was authorised or not.

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DSF noted that once section 2 had been completed, the remaining section of works should be much easier to complete.

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IM pointed out that there were no businesses along section 2 and that many issues could arise regarding access to businesses during section 3.

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IM noted that the City of Cape Town was planning an imminent discussion with respect to Phase 2 which comprises the section from the Labia to School Road and from Leighton Road to Clairvaux Road. He noted that the contract for Section 3 had yet to be put out for tender.

CONCLUSION After ascertaining that there were no further issues to be raised and that the next meeting is scheduled for February 2010, S Chand thanked all those present for their attendance and valuable input and wished everyone a safe and happy festive season. The meeting closed at 18h35.

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