Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has unveiled plans to transform the city’s iconic unfinished Foreshore highways into a new link bridge, tunnel, promenade and neighbourhood.

The Foreshore Precinct Project aims to address congestion in the CBD while unlocking 15 hectares of currently undeveloped land for new homes, public spaces and economic development.

The unfinished highways have remained incomplete for more than 50 years.

The City says the project will be developed in two phases, with the existing freeways remaining operational during construction to avoid major disruption to traffic.

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Key elements of the project

Phase 1

• A new link bridge over Buitengracht Road connecting the inbound freeway directly to Helen Suzman Boulevard.
• Two additional inbound freeway lanes.
• An elevated outbound ramp connecting Buitengracht over Dock Road to the existing outbound freeway.
• FW de Klerk Boulevard transformed into a more pedestrian-oriented street.
• A new canal connecting Buitengracht Park to the V&A Canal.
• A new park and public spaces beneath the Buitengracht link bridge.
• Bus lanes across Buitengracht.
• Three land parcels made available for a new residential area.
• The City says the new inbound connection will allow traffic travelling from the Foreshore towards Green Point and Sea Point to bypass the CBD.

Phase 2

• Construction of a new outbound bridge linking Helen Suzman Boulevard with a new underground tunnel.
• The tunnel will run from vacant land between the Port and Customs House, alongside Duncan Road, before connecting with the N1 and N2 freeways.
• The existing outbound elevated freeway will be demolished.
• A new promenade, parks and public spaces will be created along the harbour edge.
• Remaining land parcels will be opened for development.
• Construction of the second phase is expected to continue until 2040.

A new Foreshore neighbourhood

The City says the project will eventually unlock a new neighbourhood on about 15 hectares of land around the existing unfinished highways.

Plans include residential development, affordable housing, walkable streets and a tree-lined promenade along the harbour edge towards Sea Point.

Mayor Hill-Lewis says completing the unfinished highways will also help reconnect Cape Town’s CBD with the sea and its maritime heritage.

The City says the bridge and tunnel infrastructure will take most of the next decade to construct, while the wider neighbourhood development will unfold over the following two to three decades.

Public participation

The City says the plans are now entering the public-facing phase, with detailed designs and public consultation to take place before engineering, procurement and construction.

The City is also engaging Transnet about land owned by the Port Authority needed for construction of the tunnel.

Residents can register for project updates and information about upcoming public participation processes at foreshore.capetown.

The City says further consultation will cover road scheme amendments, heritage impact assessments and other statutory requirements.