R100 million Cape Town beach upgrade – big changes hitting next month

The City of Cape Town says that it has reached the halfway milestone in the Table View beach upgrade project, which commenced in 2022.
Work on the next phase of the project will now commence by mid-September, it said, with construction starting on key features.
The upgrade of the Table View beachfront covers a stretch of 3km of coastline, from Dolphin Beach in the south to Bokkomsbaai in the north. The beach is popular with tourists and locals alike, given its views of the iconic Table Mountain.
The project also includes the rehabilitation of the dune system, which is also making good progress, the city said.
Initially estimated at R70 million, a budget of R108 million was ultimately allocated to the project: R16 million in the 2022/23 financial year, R48 million in 2023/24 and R44 million in 2024/25.
The City’s Coastal Management branch is now gearing for the next phase, which includes:
- The construction of the walkway along the coast,
- Reconfiguration of the parking areas,
- New ablution facilities,
- The repair of aged stormwater infrastructure.
“From mid-September, we will be constructing a new walkway along the coastline from Bokkomsbaai to Marine Circle. Walkways are extremely popular as it allows for recreational activities along the coast,” the city said.
“The work will be ongoing for about two years, and although the public will have access to the beach at all times, this will cause some inconvenience.”
The public will have access to the beach, despite the ongoing work. However, the construction areas will be closed off, and the project will be done in phases to minimise the impact on residents and visitors as far as possible.
The project is expected to be completed by June 2025.
Details of upcoming civil works are outlined below:
Walkway
- The new walkway will be constructed along the coastline from Bokkomsbaai in the north to Marine Circle in the south
- The existing walkway from Marine Circle to Dolphin Beach will be restored
- The new walkway will cover a distance of 2km, and the section to be restored is approximately 1km long
- Once done, visitors will be able to walk safely along the Table View coast without needing to meander through parking areas
Ablution facilities
- One new ablution will be constructed between Shell and Seal Roads, and another ablution adjacent to the parking area to the south of Marine Circle
- The existing ablutions will be refurbished
Parking areas
- All parking areas, sidewalks and sections of Beach Boulevard will be impacted by the work, but visitors will always have access to the beach. The work will be done in phases.
- A new parking area will be created opposite Visagie Street to supplement parking bays that will have to make way for the new walkway; and parking bays will be added at Bokkomsbaai
- New parking will be provided within a reasonable radius to popular areas where the demand for parking is high
- The dune rehabilitation project includes wind nets and vegetation to mitigate the impact of windblown sand on the adjacent infrastructure, including the parking areas
Stormwater infrastructure
- Existing stormwater infrastructure will be repaired and replaced where needed
- Sections of the beach will be impacted, but the work will be done in phases
Dune rehabilitation project
- The work commenced in mid-July 2022 with the profiling of the dunes from Dolphin Beach to Bokkomsbaai
- We have moved the sand to reinstate the dunes, covering an area of eight hectares; then stabilised the sand with the installation of wind nets, followed by revegetation with suitable dune-specific plant species
- 94 000 plants have been rescued and planted on the dunes
- 162,515 square metres of sand have been moved
- 23km of wind netting have been installed
- Sand accumulating at each location will be pushed back into the sea, and the nets will be reinstalled as needed
- Planting will continue into 2024
- The vegetation will take several years to fully establish
The public is reminded to keep dogs on a lead, to adhere to the signage on site, and only access the beach via designated access pathways.
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