The Strand Street Concourse has officially opened for pedestrians to use as a thoroughfare.
Built as an underground pedestrian walkway in the early 1970s, the concourse beneath Strand and Adderley Streets underwent a major refit recently.
The scope of work, which started in September 2016, included retiling the entire area, the installation of new shutter doors at all entrances, installation of new lighting, the replacement of all six escalators, as well as the design and construction of new escalator landings at street level to provide ease of access for pedestrians, among a whole host of other improvements
The Strand Street Concourse, owned by the City of Cape Town, is part of a broader network of underground walkways that serves as a critical pedestrian link between the Cape Town station precinct and the St George’s Mall, Woolworths, Old Mutual and the Golden Acre shopping malls.
This forms part of an overall revitalisation project for the concourse.
“The concourse allows for protected pedestrian movement across the busy Strand and Adderley streets, with a number of exit points into the heart of the central business district,” said the City’s mayoral committee member for assets and facilities management, Stuart Diamond.
“At this stage the City services aren’t on site yet. Upon completion, public interface services will include two community courts, municipal pay points, and a centre management office, while offices to accommodate the City’s departments of social development, building development management, and environmental management will be available down the line.
“These public interface offices will operate during normal working hours and will be closed from 10pm to 6am daily for security reasons.
Dave Bryant, ward councillor for Ward 115, which includes the CBD, said: “The refit of the Strand Street Concourse is yet another exciting chapter in the story of the revitalisation of the Cape Town CBD.
“The upgrades serve as an important recognition of public transport users who travel from other parts of the metro on a daily basis.”