Dualling of Jip de Jager Drive to alleviate congestion well under way
28 March 2023
The City of Cape Town’s Urban Mobility Directorate commenced with the
dualling of a section of Jip de Jager Drive (M16) in Bellville – from
Kommissaris Street to Van Riebeeckshof Road – on 9 January 2023. This is one of
the biggest road construction projects to alleviate congestion in this part of
the city in recent years. The City’s Mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis, and the Mayoral
Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Councillor Rob Quintas, visited the site
earlier today to note the progress to date.
'Earlier today, I visited the Jip de Jager Drive construction site where we are busy dualling a section of the road, covering a distance of 2,3km. We started work in January 2023 and I must say, I'm impressed with the progress and am proud to see the City out in full force, busy working on a project that will make a huge difference to residents.
'Jip de Jager Drive is what-we-call a primary arterial route that connects Durbanville, Welgemoed, and Bellville with the N1 freeway. Many residents living in the northern suburbs rely on this route to get to the N1 and they have first-hand experience of the congestion along this road, in particular during the morning and afternoon peak hours. With the addition of new lanes and cycling lanes, we are increasing the road capacity and alleviating traffic congestion.
'It is a priority for us to do what we can to make it easier for residents to get to work and be productive, for goods and services to be mobile, and importantly, to spend less time travelling. I want to thank residents and surrounding communities for their patience and support thus far as roadworks are always inconvenient,' said Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.
If all goes as planned, Jip de Jager Drive will be a dual carriageway from Kommissaris Street to Van Riebeeckshof Road by December 2024. With the additional capacity, it is anticipated that rat-running through Welgemoed via residential roads will also become less of a problem.
The project entails the following:
- The dualling of Jip de Jager Drive from Kommissaris Street to Van Riebeeckshof Road, covering a distance of 2,3km
- Upgrade three existing signalised intersections along Jip de Jager Drive at Kommissaris Street; Pandoer Street; and Jameson Road with dedicated turning lanes to improve traffic flow
- Construction of walking and cycling lanes on both sides of the dual carriageway
- The extension of a pedestrian culvert at Welgemoed Golf Course
- The construction of retaining walls for a section adjacent to Kommandeur Street
- New embayments for buses and minibus-taxis
'In recent years, Durbanville and the northern suburbs of Bellville have seen many new residential and commercial developments as more people are relocating to Cape Town. The City planned ahead for the expected population growth – in 2017 we extended Jip de Jager Drive from Van Riebeeckshof Road to St Johns Road.
'And even at that time, we were already busy with traffic impact assessments, and planning ahead to turn the section between Kommissaris Street and Van Riebeeckshof Road into a dual carriageway by the end of 2024. This project counts among the top five congestion alleviation priorities for the City. Resilient cities plan ahead, and make provision for population growth. I'm proud to say that at the City of Cape Town, future planning is at the centre of everything we do,' said the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Councillor Rob Quintas.
The contractor is doing all it can to limit the impact on road users. Still, the City advises residents to try and avoid the construction area as far as possible, and to anticipate delays when travelling along this section. Also, residents may experience some dust and noise pollution in the vicinity of the roadworks.
End
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
