The sky circle - elevated traffic circle - proposed for the MyCiti Hanover Park intersection is a political vanity project, like the Cape Flats phase of the MyCiti itself. No mention is made of how much it will cost, but it would be hundreds of millions, far more than the nominal cost of a conventional intersection.
Mayco for urban transport Rob Quintas (diploma in advertising) said the sky circle is necessary to ease congestion, but six-lane intersections, here dual carriage ways plus centre bus lane each way, is common including in Cape Town.
The real reason for it, though, is because the city and their road consultants have boxed themselves into a transport corner on which they're happy to waste our money.
The Çape Flats MyCiti model - dedicated central bus lanes with stations - is suited to congested inner cities rather than outlying trunk routes. This model doubles the cost, uses more land and increases the concrete and heat footprint because there are more lanes.
Nothing engineering-wise prevented dual carriageways with inner bus lanes that can be shared off-peak by other vehicles like on the N2. This is much cheaper and more practical. But the city's politicians wanted their expensive project. Note engineers are problem-solvers and present solutions the client approve so it's unlikely the sky ring was the only and most feasible solution.
MyCiti offers citizens another transport option but it has not significantly changed the way Capetonians view conveyance; the private car is here to stay as the main form of travel. So while its needed in some form, the scale of investment in it is unwarranted and does not offer value for money.
Meanwhile existing heavily used roads, eg Main Road Mowbray to Cape Town, urgently needs repairs and upgrading, and Jan Smuts Drive north from Athlone needs widening to ease congestion that at peak hour flows back to Klipfontein Road and adds about half hour to travel. Instead with MyCiti Cape Flats years from opening, politicians are worried about possible future congestion.
The French term for infrastructure projects that memorialises politicians who order them is grande projects. MyCiti Cape Flats is one. Like the Cape Town Stadium, if common sense and sanity do not prevail and the massive spending continues, it may end up being the DA's Eskom and SAA. Another name for sky circle should be "Pie in the sky".
Postscript
In 2019 I raised concerns to the city's Transport Department about this project vis-a-vis existing roads that needed repair and upgrading. A senior official noted to a colleague my "rambling opinion" (sic) could be ignored.
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