The City of Cape Town’s Coastal Management Department is busy refurbishing the coastal walkway at Kommetjie and will soon commence work on the walkway at Glencairn beach. The walkways have been used by visitors and residents for over seven decades, making them a focal feature of these coastal towns in the Far South.
Maintenance and repair work on the walkway at Kommetjie commenced last month and will be completed by the end of March 2021.
All-in-all, the City will spend about R1,6 million on the repair work on both walkways. Work at the Kommetjie walkway commenced late last month, and the project in Glencairn is scheduled to start within the next week or so.
‘Both walkways are extremely popular and in dire need of repair. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen residents flocking to the outdoors where they can connect with nature, and practice social distancing in the open air. The maintenance projects will go a long way in ensuring we preserve the walkways for many decades to come,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Marian Nieuwoudt.
Kommetjie walkway
The walkway in Kommetjie is being refurbished from Beach Road to where it connects with the Table Mountain National Park boardwalk. A new concrete surface is being cast on top of the existing asphalt. Although the alignment of the walkway will remain the same, some sections will be widened to about 1,5m where the topography and vegetation allows.
The walkway will remain accessible to the public, apart from the sections where work is underway. If all goes as planned, the project should be completed by the end of March 2021.
Glencairn coastal walkway
The old walkway that runs along the southern edge of the bay from the road and rail underpass to the tidal pool, is being repaired after many years of neglect . The damaged and broken surface will be repaired, as will all the retaining walls. Once completed, the walkway will be a lot safer for elderly walkers or those at risk of tripping as the surface will be smoother.
The work on the pedestrian walkway from the car park towards the tidal pool forms part of other improvements within the Glencairn beach precinct, among which the paving of the parking area and the construction of a new public ablution facility in coming weeks.
The precinct will be closed to the public in sections while work is underway. The repairs and maintenance project should be completed by the end of April 2021, pending any unforeseen delays.
‘We request the public to please work with us, to abide by the signage and to avoid the areas where the repairs are underway. Once completed, we will all benefit from the investment made to improve these amenities,’ said Alderman Nieuwoudt.