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www.thevillagenews.co.za
24 June 2020
75% of comments object to the bypass From P1 “The purpose of the current exercise is to secure a future road alignment to minimise future impacts on property owners and the environment. In this instance, a bypass alignment could have and should have been proclaimed at least 20 years ago. The failure to do so may contribute to current concerns about the project,” states the report. It is proposed that the road will function as a regional route and consist of a single carriageway, i.e. one lane in each direction. Vehicle lanes will be 3.7 m wide with a 1.8 m wide shoulder in each direction, within a road reserve of 25 m. Where cut and fill or noise barriers are required, the road reserve could extend to 30 m. The proposed speed limit is 60 km/h. A combined 3 m wide pedestrian walkway and cycle path is also proposed alongside the road on appropriate sections of the bypass, and it is proposed that all retaining structures are constructed with natural sandstone rock. The following alternatives were investigated in the EIA report:
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A northern alignment that runs just north of and adjacent to the existing Mountain Drive, then aligns north of the cemetery and sports complex, then leads south, along the eastern edge of the sports complex between the cricket oval and the Generation School and then joins Fairways Avenue; A southern alignment that runs just north of and adjacent to the existing Mountain Drive, then runs south of the cemetery and follows Jose Burman Drive between the high school and the sports complex. A pedestrian underpass under the bypass is proposed in the eastern portion of this section, while a pedestrian and vehicular underpass is proposed in the western portion of this bypass section. This implies that the road is raised
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along this section. The road then runs south along the eastern edge of the high school and joins Fairways Avenue; and A no-go alternative that entails no change to the status quo. Traffic volumes are expected to increase over time irrespective of whether the Hermanus CBD bypass is built or not. In line with trends already observed, it is also expected that increasing congestion in the CBD will cause more motorists to use the Mountain Drive – Jose Burman Drive – Fairways Avenue route as a de facto bypass.
The report states that comments from 155 stakeholders were received on the final EIA report, as well as two petitions. “Some 75% of comments object to the bypass on the basis that it was not needed or supported, while 3% of stakeholders who commented think the bypass is needed.” In this respect the traffic study, compiled for the DTPW as part of the project motivation, was peer reviewed in February / March 2020. The independent reviewer concludes that “adequate evidence has been provided to indicate that the CBD bypass proposal is a realistic solution to what will in time be needed to provide mobility for through traffic as well as creating the opportunity for the CBD to have a more pedestrian-friendly environment. “In the absence of a bypass, over time congestion will occur with increased frequency both in the CBD and on Mountain Drive. As the opportunity to secure a desired future could well be lost if certain parcels of land are developed, the recommendations … (to build a bypass)… are considered valid. Monitoring of growth rates over time will obviously be important in determining the timing of implementation, assuming the project obtains environmental approval by the DEA&DP.” Many developments have and are taking place in Hermanus and these are steadily reducing
the options to implement a bypass in the future. As such the DTPW wants to secure a route through an Environmental Authorisation and subsequent road proclamation. The upgrade of the CBD Relief Road (Royal Street from the circle at the old synagogue to the circle at the Station Mall) was most often suggested by stakeholders as an alternative. This is not seen as viable, based on the extent of expropriation that would be required if the road was widened to the standard desired by the DTPW. This would result in extensive socio-economic impacts due to disruption of central Hermanus. The municipal Directorate of Infrastructure and Planning is also on record as not supporting the upgrading and proclamation of the Relief Road as the future provincial road, states the report. For this reason, only the originally proposed northern and southern bypass alignment alternatives were deemed technically reasonable and feasible by the applicant. While it is not desirable to reduce the size of protected areas, the DTPW motivates that this project is proposed in a specific context – Hermanus has limited space between the mountains and the sea, and a bypass route was identified on this alignment in planning documentation before the Fernkloof Nature Reserve (FNR) was extended down to Mountain Drive, and the department still considers this route to be the only feasible route for the bypass. According to the report, the municipality has twice submitted official letters on letterheads stating support for the bypass, signed by the Director: Infrastructure and Planning in 2017 and the Municipal Manager in 2019. “SRK has included these letters with all other comments submitted during the EIA process. At no time during the EIA process has another official or the council withdrawn a letter that was submitted by the Overstrand Municipality, or instruct-
ed SRK to disregard any of those submissions. “The fundamental decision is whether to allow the development. SRK is of the opinion that on purely ‘environmental’ grounds (i.e. the project’s potential socio-economic and biophysical implications), and considering the findings of peer reviews, the northern alternative could be approved. Approval should be contingent on the investigation and implementation of essential mitigation measures and engagement with affected parties during a detailed design to agree plans to relocate the Hermanus Country Market, retain connectivity in the schools and sports complex and precise methods to mitigate noise. Mayor Coetzee said yesterday that the current upgrading of the R43 at Hawston was necessitated by the new housing development and does not form part of an upgrade from Fisherhaven to Sandbaai. In August 2018 then DTPW Minister Donald Grant, said his department had set aside R150 million for the upgrading of the R43 to a dual carriageway between Fisherhaven and Sandbaai. Work on the environmental impact assessments of this project, which has been registered as a separate project to the infamous bypass, was set to start in March 2019. The Fisherhaven to Sandbaai upgrade is in addition to the R683 million that has been budgeted for the widening of the R43 between Hermanus, Stanford and Gansbaai, which is currently underway. For written comments to be included in the submission to the DEA&DP, they must reach the following contact person no later than 20 July 2020: Kelly Armstrong at SRK Consulting via email: karmstrong@srk.co.za or Postnet Suite #206, Private Bag X18, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa. SRK can be called on 21 659 3060.
Pandemic reaching its peak in province The Covid-19 pandemic seems to be racing towards its peak as the total of cases in the Western Cape breached the 50 000 mark during the weekend and the provincial death toll on Monday climbed to 1 424. Although an exact date for the peak cannot be determined, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde says, some epidemiological models, including the National Covid-19 Epi Model (NCEM) which is relied on by the national government for forecasting, have estimated that the province will expe-
rience its peak soon. “We are experiencing increased pressure in our hospitals. At the same time, the economy is opening further, with personal care services having re-opened this weekend and other sectors expected to open soon. Now is therefore the time to be extra vigilant to slow the spread." Winde warned that according to the data, age and underlying conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure present the greatest risk for
becoming seriously ill or dying. “People who fall into vulnerable groups must take additional precautions to protect themselves – staying at home as much as possible.” On Monday, the Western Cape had almost 14 000 active cases of Covid-19. The term "active case" refers to a patient who is currently infected. A case is considered closed when a person has recovered, or in the event of a death. “While recoveries significantly out-
number active cases in the province, we must still do everything we can to ensure that we are keeping safe, as those 14 000 people have the potential to infect many more people in their families and communities. “As a province, we are continuously re-assessing the data available to us to give us an indication of when the virus peak will occur. These models are predictions based on the best available data at the time, and it is impossible to pinpoint exactly when this will happen but by taking additional care now,
and managing the number of active cases, we can help to slow the spread and help to save lives,” Winde said. With more businesses reopening this week he urged business owners to always act with the best interests of their clientele and their staff at heart and abide by the restrictions and regulations put in place to ensure maximum safety. “This means ensuring that facilities are available for hand washing or sanitising and that surfaces are regularly cleaned to avoid your business becoming an infection site.
