A R24 million programme to upgrade roads in and around The Triangle, the commercial area surrounding Somerset Mall in Somerset West, is under way.

The programme, due for completion by mid-December, represents a further investment in community infrastructure by Heartland Properties, which is responsible for the ongoing redevelopment of AECI land between Somerset West and Strand.

It follows the R12 million investment by Heartland in the AECI Centenary bridge, which was officially opened last year and crosses the R44 Stellenbosch-Strand road to link the retail and commercial Triangle with the industrial Interchange area.  Once completed, the Heartland-funded road improvements will be handed over to the City Council.

“A key element of the programme is construction of an R44 underpass loop taking traffic travelling towards Strand on the R44 into the Somerset Mall area,” says Wendy Viola, regional sales and marketing manager of Heartland Properties.

“Another is construction of an additional left slip from the R44 underpass to the N2 turnoff.”

She says that within The Triangle, the spine road from McDonald’s circle to the Toys’R’Us circle will be widened to a four-lane section with a median.  The spine road from Toys’R’Us circle to Victoria Link circle will also be changed to a four-lane section.

“De Beers Avenue from Victoria Link to the R44 intersection will be resurfaced and upgraded with pedestrian and cycling lanes and landscaping.”

Link roads in the commercial area east of Somerset Mall will also be improved, says Viola.

In the industrial Interchange area, a portion of the old Paardevlei Road – the main route in the area - will be resurfaced.

A new intersection giving access off Beach Road  to the eastern part of the main AECI property will be built.

“This intersection will help facilitate future development of the remainder of the property,” she says.  “Heartland Properties hopes to present proposals, within the next year, for a mixed use development surrounding the 50 ha Paardevlei and the Historic Precinct which houses a core of Sir Herbert Baker-designed and other buildings dating from 1901.

“The total AECI landholding was 1 000 ha, equivalent in size to Cape Town’s City Bowl, and in just five years some 250 ha of this has been successfully sub-divided and sold for residential, retail, commercial and light industrial use to investors, owner occupiers and developers.

“Strategic planning for the remainder of the site by a carefully integrated professional team including town planners, consulting engineers, landscape architects and a heritage consultant is ongoing and Heartland will continue to provide development opportunities across all property sectors.”

ends

ISSUED FOR Heartland Properties

BY Michael Kerkhoff & Associates

INQUIRIES Wendy Viola  021-852-1154

                    Mike Kerkhoff 021-424-5280