BACKGROUND

The South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) awarded Scheme Developer status to the Peninsula Expressway Consortium (Penway) in January 2000 to develop Penway’s unsolicited proposal for the N21 (R300) Cape Town Ring Road Toll Project.  The proposal included the private financing of the project, construction of new sections, upgrade of the existing road and maintenance, operations and tolling of the entire route.

Penway and SANRAL have entered into a Public Private sector Partnership to develop this scheme and concluded a formal agreement in January 2000.  In terms of the agreement, both parties are jointly responsible for the transparent development of the scheme.  The Initial Phase of Scheme Development was completed in December 2001 and included a Scoping Study, undertaken by Chand/Ecosense Joint Venture (CEJV), from February to November 2000.

The Scoping Study was undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations (R1183 of 5 September 1997), promulgated in terms of the Environmental Conservation Act (No. 73 of 1989), and the National Environmental Management Act (No. 107 of 1998).

After due consideration that the project was feasible, SANRAL in July 2001 approved that Penway could proceed with the Final Phase of Scheme Development.  A further agreement was signed between SANRAL and Penway during December 2001 that determines the process to be followed from hereon.  During the Final Phase of Scheme Development, SANRAL and Penway shall:

    Undertake the Impact Assessment Phase of the EIA;

    Do the necessary topographical surveys and materials investigations to undertake preliminary engineering designs;

    Complete the engineering designs to enable SANRAL to proclaim the road and acquire land for road reserve purposes; and

    Compile tender documentation.

The Successful Tenderer would be required to complete the construction of the entire scheme within a period of about three years.  Table 1 provides a description of the proposed construction work to be undertaken during Initial Construction.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ROUTE

Initially the proposal was to start the concession route at the Westlake Interchange near Muizenberg and then follow previously planned routes such as the Coastal Freeway, the existing R300 from Vanguard Drive to Stellenberg Interchange on the N1 and then the proclaimed Trunk Route 11/1 through to Melkbosstrand via the existing provincial road (MR43).  During the Scoping Study a number of alternative alignments were investigated at the request of the local authorities.  After due consideration SANRAL and Penway agreed to incorporate the alternatives into the scheme.  The route now ends near Big Bay in Bloubergstrand and follows the alignment of the proposed East-West Arterial as planned by the then Blaauwberg Municipality.

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