Cape Town’s motorists will be happy to know that the newly revamped Baden Powell Drive was launched on Wednesday, October 21. The stretch of highly-used road has been under construction since April 2018, and it was recently unveiled by Western Cape MEC for Transport and Public Works, Bonginkosi Madikezela.
Baden Powell Drive, which is also known as the R310, is the road that stretches from Muizenberg to Stellenbosch. It is also the main access road between Stellenbosch and Cape Town, and provides access to Cape Town International Airport, as well as the Cape Town Film Studio. The road is also heavily used by tourists, cyclists and pedestrians, particularly on weekends.
The Baden Powell Drive project, worth R283 million, was originally due for completion on April 14, but several work disruptions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic led to extensions. Minister Madikizela added that the project created many jobs for the local residents and contractors who are still upcoming.
“Based on high traffic volumes and the need to rehabilitate the existing single carriageway, my department’s Road Network Management Branch launched a project in 2018 to upgrade approximately 5km of the R310 between the N2 and Vlaeberg Road within the City of Cape Town and Stellenbosch Municipality,” Madikizela said.
“An additional project element was the upgrading of the quarter link at the partial interchange between Baden Powell Drive and Van Riebeeck Road.”
The main items that were executed under the project are as follows:
– Baden Powell Drive was upgraded to a double carriageway by constructing the new carriageway next to the existing road as the northbound carriageway.
– The existing Baden Powell Drive was rehabilitated as the southbound carriageway.
– A new dual carriageway quarter link between Van Riebeeck Road and Baden Powell Drive was constructed.
– A new access road to Faure Village was constructed.
– The access road to Faure Station was relocated.
– A new bridge was constructed on the northbound carriageway of Baden Powell Drive alongside the existing bridge.
– The existing bridge on the southbound carriageway of Baden Powell Drive was rehabilitated.
– A section of Van Riebeeck Road in the direction of Eerste River had to be lowered to get adequate bridge clearance.
– Three agricultural underpasses were constructed and storm water structures constructed or extended.
– The existing irrigation channel was relocated in sections.
– The terminals of the on and off ramps at the N2 interchange were improved.
– Traffic signals were installed at all major intersections.
– Street lights were installed over almost the full length of the project.
The road was originally constructed in 1970 and was a single carriageway that stretched in both directions. In later years, a northbound carriageway was constructed beside the existing one.
Picture: Twitter/Bonginkosi Madikizela