Multi-million rand upgrade for Fisherman's Lane in Strandfontein

13-07-2018
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Bizcommunity.com
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The City of Cape Town is spending R3.4m upgrading the Fisherman's Lane parking area in Strandfontein along the False Bay coast. The popular fishing spot has in the past had a troublesome relationship with the ocean, resulting in degradation of the sea wall and adjoining infrastructure.

The area, situated close to Strandfontein Pavilion, has been in the spotlight on several occasions as a result of the erosion to the infrastructure caused by spring tides and wave action.

Restoring infrastructure and preventing future damage

In October 2017, a report on remedial action was submitted to the city’s Coastal Transversal Working Group. Just more than six months later, in May 2018, a contractor moved onto the site to start a nine-week project aimed at restoring the infrastructure and preventing future damage.

Assisted by four local labourers, the contractor has thus far removed all the existing asphalt layers and subbase materials and started constructing a gabion retaining wall, working in 20-metre sections at a time. Other aspects of the construction that is planned includes excavating and reinstalling the parking area edge and diverting the sewer line underneath the parking area.

The project is being funded by the city’s Recreation and Parks Department as the facility owner, in partnership with the city’s Coastal Management Department who designed the engineering solution.

Addressing the longstanding issue

"I was very impressed by what I saw during a recent site visit, both in terms of the work being done to address this longstanding issue, but also with the rate of progress of the contractor. It is our hope that the fishing fraternity will find the upgrades and reinforcements a step up from the challenges that they’ve had to contend with in the past. I also urge fishermen using the facility to please desist from driving over the dunes, but instead to use only the path leading out of the parking area to get to their fishing spot," said the city’s mayoral committee member for safety and security; and social Services, Alderman JP Smith.

The city’s Recreation and Parks Department is also in the process of assessing the neighbouring Strandfontein Pavilion for a possible upgrade.