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Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis announced the Foreshore Precinct Project, a two-phase plan to replace unfinished highways with a new bridge, tunnel, promenade and neighbourhood on 15 hectares of vacant CBD land.
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis on Friday unveiled the Foreshore Precinct Project, a plan to transform the Foreshore's unfinished highways into an iconic new link bridge, promenade and vibrant new neighbourhood.
The announcement was made at the unfinished bridges themselves, alongside Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde and Transnet CEO Michelle Phillips. The project would put 15 hectares of land to use that has sat undeveloped for over five decades. The City notes it is among the last vacant CBD land available.
Foreshore Highways' Decades-Long Unfinished Story
The unfinished highways were conceived in the late 1960s, with construction beginning in the early 1970s as part of plans to connect the Eastern and Western Boulevards and ease traffic into the Cape Town CBD. Construction stopped in 1977, largely because of financial constraints, leaving sections of elevated freeway suspended above the Foreshore. Over the decades, the structures have become among Cape Town's most recognisable man-made landmarks, featuring in films, photographs and urban legends.
Hill-Lewis said completing the unfinished highways would go beyond solving a decades-old infrastructure puzzle, with the city hoping the development will unlock investment, jobs and affordable housing in the heart of Cape Town. We have been working on this project for the last few years in detail, but in truth, we are getting the ball rolling on finishing some 50-year-old unfinished business, he said.
He said the bridges and tunnel would help address some of Cape Town's biggest congestion headaches while unlocking huge investment, job creation and more affordable homes for Capetonians. Most importantly, over the decades ahead, a brand-new vibrant Foreshore neighbourhood will be unlocked, including affordable housing, walkable streets, and a tree-lined promenade along the harbour's edge all the way to Sea Point, he said. Speaking at the unfinished bridges, Hill-Lewis said today is the beginning of that public facing phase.
Foreshore Precinct Project Begins Public Consultation
We are releasing drawings to begin a process of public consultation, he said. Then the final designs will be turned into detailed engineering designs, before procurement can begin and eventually, construction. The City plans to build in two halves, keeping existing freeways running throughout the project to avoid crippling traffic. Phase one centres on a new bridge over Buitengracht Street.
It will link the unfinished highway inbound directly to Helen Suzman Boulevard, with two extra inbound lanes added. This will effectively bypass the CBD. A large new park will open beneath the bridge. Other changes include bus lanes across Buitengracht and a pedestrian-oriented FW de Klerk Boulevard.
A new canal will link Buitengracht Park to the V&A Canal, and three land parcels will open up for housing. Construction is set to begin during the next term of office of Council. Phase two brings an outbound tunnel, built on vacant land between the Port and Customs House. It will run beside Duncan Road to connect with the N1 and N2.
Once it is complete, the outbound elevated viaduct will be demolished. That clears the way for a harbour-edge promenade, parks and public spaces. The bigger prize, according to the Mayor, comes after the concrete is poured. Over the decades ahead, the plan promises affordable housing, walkable streets and a tree-lined promenade stretching to Sea Point.
Cape Town's Waterfront Transformation Set to Continue
The bridges and tunnel will take the best part of a decade to build. The new neighbourhoods will keep unfolding beyond that, driving growth for two to three decades. Hill-Lewis framed the project as a statement of ambition. Cape Town is one of the world's great port cities, and everything about our identity is shaped by the sea, he said.
By removing the physical barriers between city and sea, we will reconnect with our maritime identity and heritage. He also pointed to the MyCiTi expansion to Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain, now under construction, as the city's other major upgrade. City Manager Lungelo Mbandazayo said the project could turn a symbol of an unfinished chapter into part of the city's future.
These structures have captivated imaginations, featured in films and stories, and more recently became the subject of their own urban legends, Mbandazayo said. He said the city began examining the precinct's future about two years ago, considering challenges, future infrastructure needs and how development could benefit residents. Cities are not built for the buildings, roads or infrastructure.
Residents Invited to Shape Foreshore Precinct Plans
Cities are built for people, and so, as we develop a vision for the Foreshore precinct, our residents have remained at the centre of every conversation, every proposal and every possibility, he said. He described the proposal as some of the boldest thinking the city had put forward for the CBD in recent years. Mbandazayo also urged the public to participate. The most important phase is now: where we are presenting our proposals to Capetonians, he added.
This is your city, and we want you to be involved. The proposal is still at an early stage and construction is not imminent. The city will first take the plans through public consultation before final designs are developed into detailed engineering plans, followed by procurement and, ultimately, construction. Hill-Lewis said Friday's announcement marked the beginning of the public phase of the project.
There is still a lot of work to do and a long way to go.
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TimesLIVE:Cape Town’s 50-year-old unfinished highways could finally lead somewhere 
TheSAnews:First look: Cape Town's plan to turn unfinished highways into new neighbourhoodThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Western Cape Geordin Hill-Lewis Cape Town Foreshore Development Unfinished Highways Bridge And Tunnel Project Affordable Housing Foreshore Precinct Project Cape Town Unfinished Highways Buitengracht Bridge And Tunnel
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