Category: learning curve

Those M3 roadworks – the details

Posted on

Following this post and several (or more) attempts to get some sort of clarity on what exactly was going to be done to the M3 in Cape Town from our elected representative, I finally got an email from Michelle Talliard. Michelle is the Senior Secretary to the Director : Asset Management & Maintenance, no less.

Here’s the skinner:

The road works have begun but they are being done outside of peak hours.  The inbound section is being doing between 09h30 and 16h30 and the outbound section will be done between 08h30 and 15h00.  The Stop/Go is incorrect and will be removed.  There will only be single lane closures in each direction.  The project manager will follow up on the incorrect signage.

The works on the M3 will happen between the Trovato link off ramp and the Klaasens Road Bridge on both carriageways and between Bishopscourt Drive and Boshof Avenue on the inbound carriageway only.

Currently work is taking place on the inbound carriageway between the Klaasens Road Bridge and the Trovato Link off ramp.  Minor works are also taking place on the shoulder between Bishops Court Drive and Paradise Road, but these are not disrupting traffic at the moment.

That first bit – between the Trovato link off ramp and the Klaasens Road Bridge on both carriageways – is not actually a lot of road, as far as I can work out. Basically just over the brow of the Edinburgh Drive hill to the Chart Farm as you’re heading out of town. Still, take away one of the two lanes in either direction and it’s going to mean delays.

The second one – between Bishopscourt Drive and Boshof Avenue on the inbound carriageway only – is longer, but mildly confusing in that neither of those two roads actually intersect with the M3. But I think that they mean between the first set and last set of robots that you encounter on your way into town each morning.

Despite their efforts to keep it out of peak hours, it’s going to make daytime traveling a nightmare, so Rhodes Drive past Kirstenbosch would seem to be the obvious detour for inbound traffic and “something through Claremont and Kenilworth” for stuff heading south. Good luck with that one.

Lastly, if you’ve driven up Edinburgh Drive away from the city recently, you’ll have enjoyed the near-authentic off-road experience twixt Struben Road and the footbridge at the top of the hill. But it would appear that there is to be no rehabilitation work done to this bit of road, despite the fact they will be rehabilitating all around it.

I don’t make the rules.

Cape Town: Big Bangs Theories

Posted on

We like to help out our local readers here in Cape Town, much as we like to help out our readers all over the world. But especially in Cape Town because Cape Town is home and Capetonians need more help than a lot of people.

Take the annual road closures for the State Opening of Parliament. First off, this is an annual event and it also happens every year. We’re warned about it in the newspapers, on Facebook, twitter, radio and TV. And then on blogs too.

It never does any good. The flood of warnings, I mean, not Parliament.
(Let’s save that discussion for another day, shall we?)

Somehow, the message doesn’t get through and then there’s panic on the streets of Cape Town; Gardens, Green Point, Waterkant. I wonder to myself.

Anyway, I’m going to try again. No road closures this time, just some big bangs early in the morning, as Cape Town welcomes the British frigate HMS Iron Duke into the harbour:

The South African Navy will welcome a British Royal Navy ship to Cape Town in grand style.
The HMS Iron Duke will receive a 21 gun salute when it nears Robben Island around 7:30 tomorrow morning.

21 guns is some welcome. The Iron Duke only gave the Lt Governor of Jersey a 15 gun salute as she passed by the Channel Islands in June. The SA Navy is going all out with a mighty 40% increase on gun salutage – and HMS Iron Duke will respond in kind:

 The Navy’s Chief Petty Officer, Dudley Malgas says the Signal Hill Noon Gun will be used in a 21 gun salute to welcome the HMS Iron Duke.
“They will follow with their 21 gun salute, and we will then respond with our 21 gun salute.”

I’m already a bit lost. Does this mean 42 bangs or 63? Never has my 21 times table been so widely used.
Either way, it’s going to be very noisy and very early and people in Cape Town are going to get very panicky. No amount of forewarning will have any effect and everyone in the CBD will think that Burundi is invading. Again.

But spread the word anyway. Be that one that can say: “Er… yeah. Didn’t you read that blog post I shared? Damn, you’re just so underinformed sometimes.” or whatever. And ask them if they are know about the road closures for the State Opening of Parliament in February. They won’t.

In case you were wondering, here’s why we have 21 gun salutes:

The custom stems from naval tradition, where a warship would fire its cannons harmlessly out to sea, until all ammunition was spent, to show that it was disarmed, signifying the lack of hostile intent. As naval customs evolved, 21 guns came to be fired for heads of state, with the number decreasing with the rank of the recipient of the honour.

And, as some added DVD extras: here’s some info on HMS Iron Duke, and here’s the video to Sometimes by Liverpool rockers Sound of Guns.

Sound of Guns. Geddit?

Thanks Ani

Swedish sightseeing

Posted on

I’ve only been to Sweden once and even then, I didn’t get very far into Sweden. Still, the little bit of Sweden that I did get into was very nice and it made me think that if I ever got the opportunity to get into a bit more of Sweden, then that would be something I would like to do.

Thus, since that opportunity has yet to arise, I have been exploring the country online. The best way to do this is to get a local guide to take through some of the best urban and countryside areas. And here, in the video for her song Out of Mind, Swedish songstress Tove Lo (you may remember her from such hits as Stay High) demonstrates several of the wonderful sights you can expect to enjoy when visiting her country.

True, for the first minute or so, you don’t get to see much of Sweden, because it’s mainly shot in a grey studio with her wearing a loosely fitting crop top and some underwear, but don’t let that put you off, because after that, she ventures outside onto a bridge in… maybe Stockholm or some other city. Whatevs.
I’m guessing by her continued skimpy attire that it’s during summer, which is probably when I would choose to visit, so it’s really helpful stuff.
Also, I have to find out where the shot at 1:27 is taken from too, because just look at that view. LOOK AT IT!

tovelo

And then we head out into the local woodland, where Tove demonstrates the opportunities for trail running in her Scandinavian homeland. What a great place to run.
And while the light filtering through the silver birches (yes, I know they’re pine trees, but poetic licence, ok?) is fairly spectacular and will surely be a distraction, I’d suggest that it’s hugely important not to take your eyes off the undulating mounds while you’re there.
Lest you should… fall. Or something.

And on that safety first approach, I’d suggest wearing some appropriate training shoes for added grip as well. And maybe some shorts, in case of… upper thigh sunburn. But it’s really up to you, as our hostess demonstrates.

Sweden, hey? It looks just great.

New Commonwealth Games event unlikely to be popular

Posted on

Google Now was already great and it continues to get steadily better as well. I’m also reliably informed that when one is in a developed country, rather than a developing one, Google Now is even more useful. I will report on this next time I find myself in such a position.

Still, like all young technologies, Now is still going through a few teething problems and while it’s hit the nail on the head as far as my footballing preferences go, the link below that also demonstrates that it’s not perfect just yet.

image

The story is question is this one from Newport in Melbourne, Australia.
Having read through it, I can see absolutely no link with the Commonwealth Games whatsoever, so I’m really not sure why Now thought that there was any connection.