20th Anniversary of the Power Group

N1 FREEWAY/GIEL BASSON INTERCHANGE OPENS AT N1 CITY (TYGERBERG)

Cape Town, 10 May 2002: The Minister of Transport, Public Works and Property Management, and Provincial Administration of the Western Cape, Ms Tasneem Essop, today conducted the official opening of the first phase of the new Giel Basson Interchange on the N1 freeway, at N1 City (Tygerberg).
The Minister indicated that this R13,7 million project consisted of the construction of two ramps, which link the N1 freeway with Giel Basson Drive. By utilising these ramps, and taking into account the current improvements to Giel Basson Drive itself, it will shortly be possible to access from the N1 freeway to the airport in the south, and Rothschild Boulevard in the north. Ultimately this route will become a major arterial in the Cape Metropole as it will permit a direct link from the West Coast to the Cape Town International Airport, via the N7 freeway.
According to Minister Essop, construction of the Giel Basson Interchange is another perfect example of co-operation between Government and the private sector in terms of upgrading the infrastructure of the city.
The Head of Transport Infrastruture, Mr Jakkie Van Heerden, indicated that personnel from his Department had controlled the planning, design and supervision phases, but that the funding for the first phase of this project was a joint venture between the public and private sectors. Seventy five percent (75%) was financed by a consortium that consists of the Provincial Administration of the Western Cape (PAWC), the City of Tygerberg and the Cape Metropolitan Council (CMC), the latter two now incorporated in the City of Cape Town.
Syfin Properties (Pty) Ltd, developers of the N1 City Complex, and one of the leading landowners and property developers in the Western Cape, financed the balance of 25%.
The project was designed by Arcus Gibb Consulting Engineers who describe the project as challenging in terms of the technical complexity of joining the new ramps to the existing post tensioned concrete structure, but also rewarding in terms of the teamwork and cooperation this multifaceted project required. Arcus Gibb has a strong empowerment focus and were pleased to have a number of female and affirmative staff assigned to the project.
The new interchange will play an important role in alleviating traffic congestion in the area by improving traffic flow and providing alternative access to Cape Town International Airport. Simultaneously, it will facilitate the further development of the N1 City complex as the only retail and business complex in the Western Cape that offers the benefit of two access points from the N1 freeway (Monte Vista Interchange at Vasco Boulevard and the new Giel Basson Interchange).
The N1 City complex, South Africa’s first self-contained “mini-city” is a 62 hectare, R1, 8 billion development with a gross lettable area of 200 000m², that includes retail and office space, as well as the N1 City Hospital. The development commenced in 1989 with the completion of the N1 City Shopping Mall that currently offers 57 000m² of retail space.
Says Willem Scholtz, Managing Director of Syfin, developers of N1 City: “We are pleased to play a part in the construction of the Giel Basson Interchange and the improved access it will provide our tenants to and from the N1, and enhanced exposure to the passing traffic to the airport. A number of high profile corporations had the vision to recognise the potential of N1 City as an ideal central location, and the anticipated convenience and exposure which was envisaged to result from the (then planned) Giel Basson Intersection. These include landmarks such as M-Web, Multichoice, Orbit Motors (Daimler Chrysler), Atkinson’s Toyota, Fedics and Bankfin, and these businesses will certainly reap the benefits of the improved road network at the new interchange.”
He continued to say that a number of new office park developments have been completed on the eastern boundary of N1 City, adjacent to the Parow Golf Course, and that those have been very popular, and demand for office space overlooking the golf course has been excellent.
“The improved access to Giel Basson Road from the N1 freeway provides Syfin with the opportunity to further develop the full potential of N1 City. A number of exciting new business park developments are planned for the remaining open land within and around N1 City”, Scholtz concluded.
The construction work on the Giel Basson Interchange was completed on 30 April 2002 after it was delayed by five months due to the liquidation of the first contractor. Power Construction had been appointed on the 13^th September 2001 to complete the project.
Power Construction West Cape is a division of the Cape-based Power Group of Companies, a dynamic conglomerate providing a comprehensive range of civil engineering, blacktop paving, manufacturing and township development services.
Power Construction is renowned for enriching the communities in which it operates in terms of skills transfer, training and the building of relationships with previously disadvantaged communities. The construction of the Giel Basson Interchange was no exception and R28 000 was spent on training 44 people in road safety, 8 as flagmen and 10 as shutter hands.
Construction consisted of two 13 000 m³, 6m high reinforced earth ramp embankments and 12 000m² of roadway. 1 300 m³ Of concrete was utilised in total, with no disabling injuries or deaths taking place.
This Contract has also provided opportunities for the emerging contractors to participate in a multifaceted civil engineering project. Amounts in excess of R2,7 million were paid to affirmative business enterprises for production of reinforced earth panels, kerbing and concrete works.
Power Construction sub-contracted to Blitz Asphalt, Peak Projects, Johannes Koopman Kerbing (ABE), Centremark Roadmarking, Cape Otto Signs, Triple C Concrete (ABE), Concrete Worm, Seymour Paving and Tygerberg Electrotechnical.
May 2002