BUFFALO City Municipality (BMC) yesterday lifted the lid on the building of the
R30.5 million first phase of a four-lane highway linking Beacon Bay and Gonubie.
BCM director of engineering Shaun Peard confirmed that the first phase of the proposed Quenera Drive highway project would start behind the Eskom buildings at Retail Park in Beacon Bay. It would then follow a south-easterly route, where it would eventually intersect with Edge Road and the Quenera River. Residents in the area said they were informed that the building project would start before the end of this month.
Peard said at this stage only 850m of the road would be built to serve the developments already in progress in the area. These developments are Triple Point, the Life Healthcare Beacon Bay Hospital, Ascot Park and the Breezy Slopes development.
He said the first part of the construction phase, estimated to cost R30.5m, was expected to take about 11 months to complete. A map of the new road shows it would run over several private properties.
Peard said although initial traffic volumes would not be high because the link through to Edge Road and eventually to Beaconhurst Drive would not be completed, volumes were expected to increase during future stages when a bridge across the Quenera River was built and the road linked through to Gonubie. “This will depend on funding,” said Peard.
BCM is looking at “demand driven construction” as developments along the route proceed. The entire project could take up to 10 years to run its course, Peard said.
Reaction to the plan was mixed on Wednesday, with residents saying they believed the completion of the road would cut down travel time. Last September, Beacon Bay residents said they would fight plans to build a road linking their suburb to Gonubie, arguing that it would devalue property and disturb the peace.