Traffic circle now completed

Update

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Following a construction period of just over three months, the impressive new traffic circle offering access to Hartenbos off the N2, en route to Cape Town, has been completed.

The new circle also provides access to a new filling station, still under construction, as well as the mixed use residential estate, Hartland.

Motorists using the N2 during the construction period were inconvenienced due to traffic backing up, but seeing the completion of the traffic circle, by all accounts described as a gateway development, made it all worth it.

The project was undertaken and paid for by the developers of Hartland Estate and The New Vintage.

"Combining our efforts in this project was beneficial to all. It solved problems for both of us," explains Johan Claassen of The New Vintage. Claassen, the landowner and developer of the filling station in the area, says it made perfect sense to join hands with Hartland.

"Development should not happen in isolation. We must think in terms of a smart city, offering living solutions to its residents."

Claassen told the Mossel Bay Advertiser the process of negotiation with SANRAL, the original owners of the land before Claassen acquired it, started in 2009.

He still has big dreams for the area.

"Ultimately, one would like to see the development of a so-called smart city with more mixed use residential and retail development to boot," explained Claassen.

The Mossel Bay Municipality said that this type of public infrastructure development as well as recent substantial upgrades to municipal infrastructure, was in line with council's adopted precinct plan for the Hartenbos area.

"This plan promotes and guides development of the Hartenbos area and also considers the sensitive nature of the Hartenbos River and estuary," said Carel Venter, director of Planning and Economic Development. The Hartland Estate development, though on the cards for several years since the initial development proposal was approved by council, did not materialise due to the economic recession of 2008 that affected a number or real estate developments in South Africa.

However, when the municipality was again approached some years later, to perhaps consider the time extension of the land use rights, much time and effort was put into this process by the Town Planning Department of the municipality in consultation with the developer in order to find suitable solutions. This resulted in a phased development that makes economic sense.

"The municipality congratulates the parties involved on the completion of the traffic circle. Doing this within the construction time period and opening the traffic circle before the peak season is an excellent accomplishment. This will hopefully also impact positively an all surrounding developments and land uses and, together with the anticipated upgrading of Louis Fourie Road, ease traffic congestion and contribute to the safety of our roads."

The newly-completed traffic circle at Hartland Estate.