Six ways Cape Town’s unfinished freeways could be transformed into something useful [video]

Cape Town’s unfinished bridges are almost as famous as Table Mountain or Robben Island. There have always been rumours around what might happen to the bridges, but we’re finally heading into something actionable.

Last week, proposals were presented by the private sector for ways in which the foreshore could be transformed. There were two requirements for the proposals put forward: they had to address the city’s traffic problems and there had to an affordable housing aspect attached to them.

The proposals followed a call by the Transport and Urban Development Authority and Mayor Patricia De Lille for the private sector to submit design proposals and unlock the potential of the unfinished bridges and associated precinct on the Foreshore.

Transport and Urban Development Authority councillor Brett Herron said: “It must leave us with a lasting legacy.”

And so, here we are. The proposals have been submitted and now we wait for a decision. Here is what they entail.

Proposal A is a “new highly liveable affordable housing neighbourhood with amenities in the City,”

“New inner inner city leisure and sports facilities, new school facilities. New inner city medical and health services, new linear urban plaza, entrepreneurial incubation hub, new major inner city park and ride facilities. New MyCiTi stations, centralised MyCiTi depot, TCT Asset and Licensing department, mixed use residential quarter and garden bridge park.”

Proposal B  was described as: “The bid submissions will provide tunnels for the Foreshore Freeways, public transport and transport modal interchanges. “A world recognised iconic tower, around 158 000 square metres of public open spaces, around 400 000 square metres of residential space comprising 4400 housing units 1000 of which are for the affordable rental market. Around 95 000 square metres of retail, educational and social facilities, a public art programme, 12 000 car parking spaces and a sustainable precinct development” would be built.

Proposal C was more basic and simply proposed completing and connecting the unfinished highways, leaving the “outbound freeway carriageway free of traffic (which) can be transformed into an elevated urban park with exciting views and opportunities”.

Proposal D was for a “site that is open and accessible to all members of the various communities”.

Proposal E read: “CITYLIFT will include a new metropolitan scale urban park running along the length of the elevated podium, delivering recreational spaces.” It included a proposal for an extended promenade from Sea Point to Milnerton.

Proposal F was for 450 affordable housing units.

Traveller24 put together this short video with an overview of the proposed designs.