Cape Town: The City is about to commence the upgradation project work from Monday, Jan 22, 2024, and is halfway to its major project to rehabilitate, revitalise and maintain the Table View beachfront.
Table View Beachfront is the city’s one of the prime tourist attractions along the Atlantic coastline. The upgradation of the beachfront will cover a stretch of 3km of coastline, from Dolphin Beach in the south to Bokkomsbaai in the north.
The Coastal Management branch of Cape Town will begin with the construction of the walkway along the coast, reconfiguration of the parking areas, new ablution facilities and the repair of aged stormwater infrastructure, from next week.
Following are the details of the civil works that will be commenced in the upcoming week:
Walkway
The new walkway will be constructed along the coastline from Bokkomsbaai in the north to Marine Circle in the south. The existing walkway from Marine Circle to Dolphin Beach will be restored.
The new walkway will cover 2km distance from a section to be restored which is approximately 1km long. After the completion of the construction, the visitors will be able to walk safely along the Table View coast without meandering through parking areas.
Ablution Facilities
The ablution will be constructed between Shell and Seal Roads, whereas the old tourism office will be renovated to accommodate a second ablution south of Marine Circle. Moreover, the existing ablution will be refurbished.
Parking Areas
All parking areas, sidewalks and sections of Beach Boulevard will be impacted by the work but the visitors will have access to the beach and the work will be done phases.
The existing parking areas will be reconstructed. Parking next to the coast to accommodate the new walkway will be reconfigured.
A new parking area will be constructed opposite Visagie Street to supplement parking bays that will have to make way for the new walkway and parking bays will be added at Bokkomsbaai.
The new parking will be provided within an accessible radius to popular areas where the demand for parking is high.
Dune Rehabilitation Project
The dune rehabilitation project includes wind nets and vegetation, to mitigate the impact of windblown sand on the adjacent infrastructure that will also include the parking areas.
The project was commenced in mid-July 2022 with the profiling of the dunes from Dolphin Beach to Bokkomsbaai.
The sand has been moved to reinstate the dunes, covering an area of eight hectares, then stabilised the sand with the installation of wind nets, followed by revegetation with suitable dune-specific plant species.
For the project, 94,000 plants were rescued and planted on the dunes. 162,515 m³ of sand was moved. 23km of wind netting was installed.
Sand accumulating at each location will be pushed back into the sea and the nets will be reinstalled as needed. The planting is anticipated to be completed by 2024, while the vegetation will take several years to fully establish.
Stormwater Infrastructure
The existing stormwater infrastructure will be repaired and replaced where it was needed. Some sections of the beach will be impacted but the work will be done in phases.
Councillor Alderman Andrews said that the public will have access to the beach, despite the ongoing work.
However, the construction areas will be closed off and the project will be done in phases to minimise the impact on residents and visitors.
“All-in-all, we are now halfway through the greater upgrade, and if all goes as planned, the project will be complete by June 2025. I know this is a long time, but this investment will rejuvenate the Table View beachfront. All who live in this area and visitors will receive benefits from it,” said the councillor.