Chapman's Peak Drive: Toll Plazas and Road Realignment - Draft EIR
Background: Regulation 1182 of the Environment Conservation Act (No 73 of 1989) identifies the "construction, erection and upgrading of roads" as activities with the potential to have substantial; detrimental effect on the environment. Accordingly, such activities require authorisation from the competent environmental authority via the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process outlined in Regulation 1183.
Whilst the current ongoing rehabilitation measures along Chapman's Peak Drive are regarded as "maintenance", the activities associated with tolling, namely the proposed construction of the tolling structure(s) and associated infrastructure, and the realignment of a 320 m section of road near Monkey Valley, were deemed to constitute "upgrading" and thus require authorisation in terms of the Environment Conservation Act. Ninham Shand Consulting Services was thus appointed by Entabeni Concession (Pty) Ltd and PAWC: Transport to assist them in this regard.
Status: A Draft Environmental Impact Report, which assesses the potential environmental impacts associated with the project alternatives identified during the Scoping Phase, has been completed and is available on this website. The report includes specialist studies undertaken with regard to the botanical, heritage and visual impacts of the proposed alternatives. The report has been divided into smaller portions to assist in its downloading.
The Final Environmental Impact Assessment Report was submitted to the competent environmental authority, viz the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT), in December 2003. DEAT subsequently request the proponent to prepare more detailed information relating to specific options to inform the decision-making process. This information was submitted to DEAT in April 2004. Since then various discussions have occurred between the proponent and the key authorities, including the provincial Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, South African National Parks, the City of Cape Town and Heritage Western Cape to ensure that the concerns of these authorities are appropriately addressed in the DEAT decision-making process.
Current Project Phase
A record of Decision authorising the construction of Option 4B (two toll plaza's of 4 lanes each, one at Koeelbaai and the other above Noordhoek) was issued by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism on 3 July 2005. During the subsequent appeal period (which ended on 2 August 2005) various appeals were submitted, which are currently being reviewed and adjudicated upon by the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. It is not clear at this stage when the Minister is likely to rule on the appeals.
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