Peninsula Expressway (Cape Town)
Encyclopedia
The Peninsula Expressway is a proposed ring road
around the city of Cape Town
, South Africa
. It will link the northern suburbs on the Atlantic
seaboard with the southern suburbs on False Bay
. Known as the N21, the freeway will include sections of the existing R300 freeway
and will be toll
ed. The name of the consortium involved in the construction of the Expressway is "Penway", short for Peninsula Expressway. The Penway has also become the local nickname for the Expressway.
Explosive growth of the Cape Town metropolitan area, especially in terms of local and international tourism
, the wine industry
, and the film industry
, has pushed the traffic situation to a critical point.
The Peninsula Expressway will have junctions with three National Roads
, the N1
, the N2
, and the N7
as well as the M3 and the M5 which are Cape Town
metropolitan freeways.
A number of environmental impact
studies have been done, to determine if new sections of the freeway will upset the delicate ecological
systems in the Cape Town area. New sections will run south of the N2 towards Zeekoevlei
, which is a wetland
area, and north of the N1, up to the area near Melkbosstrand
.
Ring road
A ring road, orbital motorway, beltway, circumferential highway, or loop highway is a road that encircles a town or city...
around the city of Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. It will link the northern suburbs on the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
seaboard with the southern suburbs on False Bay
False Bay
False Bay is a body of water defined by Cape Hangklip and the Cape Peninsula in the extreme South-West of South Africa.- Description and location :...
. Known as the N21, the freeway will include sections of the existing R300 freeway
R300 (Western Cape)
The R300 or Kuils River Freeway is a Regional Route in Cape Town, South Africa that connects Mitchells Plain with the N2, Kuils River, and the N1 at Bellville...
and will be toll
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
ed. The name of the consortium involved in the construction of the Expressway is "Penway", short for Peninsula Expressway. The Penway has also become the local nickname for the Expressway.
Explosive growth of the Cape Town metropolitan area, especially in terms of local and international tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, the wine industry
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
, and the film industry
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, has pushed the traffic situation to a critical point.
The Peninsula Expressway will have junctions with three National Roads
National Roads in South Africa
In South Africa, national routes constitute a numbered network of roads starting with an "N" prefix . They usually connect major centres. Although the terms National Road and National Route are often used interchangably in everyday conversation, the two are not synonymous, and some Regional Routes ...
, the N1
N1 (South Africa)
The N1 is a South African National Route, running from Cape Town to Beit Bridge on the border with Zimbabwe. It is also the main road link between Johannesburg and Cape Town, and forms the first section of the famed Cape to Cairo Road....
, the N2
N2 (South Africa)
The N2 is a National Route in South Africa; it is the main highway along the Indian Ocean coast of the country. The N2 starts in Cape Town in the Western Cape and runs through the cities of Port Elizabeth and East London in the Eastern Cape and Durban in KwaZulu-Natal to end at Ermelo in...
, and the N7
N7 (South Africa)
The N7 is a National Route in South Africa, connecting Cape Town, South Africa to Vioolsdrif, a border post to Namibia. After crossing the border, it changes designation to B1 and runs north through Windhoek and the north of Namibia....
as well as the M3 and the M5 which are Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
metropolitan freeways.
A number of environmental impact
Environmental impact assessment
An environmental impact assessment is an assessment of the possible positive or negative impact that a proposed project may have on the environment, together consisting of the natural, social and economic aspects....
studies have been done, to determine if new sections of the freeway will upset the delicate ecological
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
systems in the Cape Town area. New sections will run south of the N2 towards Zeekoevlei
Zeekoevlei
Zeekoevlei is a major freshwater lake on the Cape Flats near Cape Town, Western Cape Province, South Africa. The name means "hippopotamus vlei," with "vlei" being afrikaans for "lake", and "zeekoe" being an archaic spelling of the afrikaans for hippopotamus.Zeekoevlei Nature Reserve is based on...
, which is a wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
area, and north of the N1, up to the area near Melkbosstrand
Melkbosstrand
Melkbosstrand is a coastal village and beach with just over 17000 inhabitants, located on the South West Coast of South Africa, 35 km north of Cape Town....
.