Upgrading of National Route 7, Section 1 between Atlantis South and Kalbaskraal by AECOM for SANRAL, Western Cape

COMMENDATION Upgrading of National Route 7, Section 1 between Atlantis South and Kalbaskraal by AECOM for SANRAL, Western Cape

The upgrading of National Route 7 from Atlantis South (26.3 km) to Kalbaskraal (39.1 km) in the north of Cape Town comprised the transforming of the single highway to a dual carriageway as well as the creation of six interchanges and five underpasses.

This project formed part of SANRAL’s broader upgrading programme for the main highway between the Melkbosstrand and Hopefield intersections, which links Cape Town with the Namibia international border towards the north.

The upgrading of the N7 to a dual carriageway with freeway status meant that all the existing at-grade accesses had to be closed and reconciled to an improved secondary road network that links to the N7 via grade-separated interchanges. This had a significant impact on the surrounding landowners, communities and the other roads authorities.

A public liaison included in the environmental authorisation process allowed for feedback from the local landowners and communities being impacted by the proposed N7 upgrading. In the scoping phase of the environmental authorisation process, a range of alternative road network plans were developed until the preferred road network was adopted. This process took nearly two years of planning and negotiation.

Land acquisition for the route widening and access roads, with a resulting impact on properties, was one of the main risks that had to be managed during planning, design and construction.

A huge focus was placed upon the social and ecological impact of the project; local communities were part of the labour force and local enterprises were also used wherever possible. There were also ecological restoration efforts aimed to preserve biodiversity management and the endemic fynbos ecosystem.

The vastly improved infrastructure gave the local community safer and improved connectivity around the north of Cape Town (addressing medium- and long-term traffic demands) while the creation of smaller access roads improved connectivity to farmers in the area.

PROJECT TEAM

Client: SANRAL Main Consultant: AECOM Subconsultant: ERO Engineers

Environmental Consultants:

SLR Consulting (design stage) & JG Afrika (construction stage)

Main Contractor:

Haw & Inglis Civil Engineering Piling Subcontractor: Keller-Africa