John Homewood, Lakeside
It is with dismay that I find the service road entering Boyes Drive, Lakeside, has been closed off.
This move not only locks the residents in, forcing them to use the Main Road only as an exit point, but also creates a serious road hazard and unnecessary congestion on Main Road with cars coming in from Tokai side, travelling south towards Lakeside.
Instead of motorists coming down Main Road towards Lakeside turning right up Boyes Drive by making use of the dedicated turn right lane, and slipping up into the service road and then into upper Lakeside, now everyone is forced to turn right up Putter Road at a place where the Main Road is narrow, causing a serious blockage to the traffic flow along Main Road. This is diabolical and it is just a matter of time before serious accidents happen here.
I urge the Cape Town roads department to assess the situation and to reopened the service road as a matter of urgency.
• Luthando Tyhalibongo, City spokesman, responds: Boyes Drive is an important route serving the far south. Given the absence of a direct link to the M3, Main Road and Steenberg Road, Boyes Drive fulfils that link.
Although the traffic signals interrupt the continuous free flow of traffic along Main Road, they provide a safer and complete access to/from Boyes Drive, specifically for all right-turning traffic, and a safe crossing point for pedestrians.
The traffic signals at this intersection have been monitored by the City’s traffic signals technical team during morning and evening peak-hour periods. Naturally, with signals, there is going to be some queuing of traffic on Main Road. However, the team have introduced a system that manages traffic flow better.
The access needed to be closed as it would no longer be safe to use. The access to the service road was discussed during the planning, and, due to the widening of the Boyes Drive approach to Main Road, the east shoulder at this point had to be compromised, which leaves a gap of 800mm between the service road and Boyes Drive, as well as a grade separation between the two. We had planned another access opposite Klein Wassenaar Road intersection, but the residents of the service road did not support the alternative access, due to speeding in the service road and that motorists drive on the wrong side of the service road, which they felt would place them at risk. We are looking at another option further up Boyes Drive and will implement this, if feasible.
Main Road: Keep Clear zones for the intersections along Main Road will ease access, and the signals will create gaps which will help right turners at the side roads, such as Putter Road. The second phase of the project along Main Road includes an additional southbound lane to accommodate easier right-turn movements at the shopping centre and Putter Road. This phase, however, requires environmental approval.