The City of Cape Town is pleased to announce that the plans for the restoration of the Table View beachfront have been approved with the additional benefit of a new coastal walkway. Residents and visitors in Blouberg and the surrounding areas can now look forward to a new walkway and various infrastructure upgrades along this very popular beachfront. Construction works are planned to commence towards the end of 2022.
The City’s Coastal Management Department is currently busy concluding the detailed design phase of the project. The procurement process will commence next year for the appointment of contractors to conduct the dune rehabilitation and civil and building works. The work will commence by the end of 2022 and the aim is to complete the project towards the beginning of 2024, if all goes as planned.
‘This stretch of Cape Town’s coastline is iconic where visitors have a great view of Table Mountain in the distance. It is a key scenic route for tourists and we have locals running, walking, and enjoying outdoor activities along this popular beachfront. The Table View restoration project will deliver a high quality recreational space. I really believe that the addition of the proposed beachfront walkway is going to be a substantial public enhancement to the area.
‘Our Coastal Management Department is always looking for opportunities to enhance our coastline, in both the way that it is protected and managed and in the way that it can be of optimum benefit to the people of Cape Town. This proposed plan and investment will achieve these goals,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Marian Nieuwoudt.
The proposed new walkway will be approximately four metres wide and will stretch along the beachfront between White Waters Road and Marine Circle from where it will integrate with the existing walkway to Dolphin Beach.
The dune rehabilitation work is of utmost importance as it will reduce the impact of wind-blown sand on adjacent infrastructure. The aim is to provide a soft interface between the beach and infrastructure and to provide a buffering from coastal processes.
The restoration work will also include repairs to broken pavement edges and damaged boardwalks and railings; new ablution facilities and pedestrian access points, as well as the recreational facilities.
‘The Department noted that there is a great need for a continuous walkway along the coast in the Table View and Blouberg area. Many residents and visitors are walking along the beachfront but often have to navigate their way through the current parking and on narrow verges. This does not promote pedestrian road safety, nor does it provide a consistent use of the coastline as is the case along many other beaches in Cape Town. As such it was decided to add the walkway to the project,’ said Alderman Nieuwoudt.
A traffic study was undertaken earlier this year to assess where best to locate the proposed new walkway. It is proposed that the existing parking areas along the beachfront be reconfigured so that the new walkway can be constructed along the beachfront.
The City will host a public participation process to provide residents the opportunity to comment on the proposed walkway. Further details will be communicated closer to the time.
Source: City Of Cape Town