Several construction projects that form part of the multibillion-rand rollout of the newest MyCiTi bus route in Cape Town are on track for completion from this year to 2027.

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis last week celebrated the start of construction of the newest phase of the south-east route that will ultimately link Wynberg, Claremont, Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain.

“It was a wonderful feeling to break ground in Claremont today, which, together with Wynberg, are the two end points of this expansion of the MyCiTi footprint,” says Hill-Lewis.

“The existing MyCiTi N2 Express service from Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha to the central business district is already among the busiest routes in the city, and we can’t wait for the transformative impact of the new south-east route.”

The city has allocated more than R6-billion in the current three-year budget cycle for the MyCiTi south-east project.

Multiple infrastructure projects are in full swing as part of the project, including road widening, signalling and new walkway construction in Claremont; upgrades to enable bus lane construction along Turfhall road and AZ Berman drive; Sky Circle construction at Govan Mbeki road (M9) and Jan Smuts drive (M17); bridge construction over Duynefontein and Govan Mbeki roads; traffic lane, bus stop, signalling and cycling lane construction along Govan Mbeki road; as well as depot construction at Spine road.

The construction of the freestanding elevated Sky Circle – the first of its kind in South Africa – at the intersection of Govan Mbeki road (M9) and Jan Smuts drive (M17) in Lansdowne started in July 2022.

Work on this complex, elevated traffic circle is over the halfway mark, with construction of the overhead structure progressing well.

The project along AZ Berman drive to construct bus lanes is around 30% complete, with the provisional finish date being January 2027.

The construction of a bridge over the intersection of Duynefontein road and Govan Mbeki road will give MyCiTi buses priority over other traffic at the intersection, ensuring a quicker journey time than with a private car.

The bridge piers are complete on the east side and the precast beams were recently moved and placed at the site.

This portion of the project is planned for completion by the end of next year.

The construction of two bus depots at the intersection of Spine road and Mew Way is nearly 80% complete, and will be wrapped up by October this year if all goes to plan.