The City of Cape Town’s Urban Mobility Directorate is pleased to announce that the long-awaited repairs to Kloof Road have commenced now that all of the preparations have been completed, and the approvals are in place to work in this ecologically sensitive environment. The section between Kloof Nek Road and Round House Road was damaged during a Level-9 storm in September 2023 and has been closed to the public since then.
Kloof Road is one of the access routes that links the City Bowl with the Atlantic Seaboard suburbs of Camps Bay, Clifton, Bantry Bay and Sea Point. The road falls within the Table Mountain National Park and the two failed embankments are located approximately 150 to 200 meters west of the corner of Kloof Road and Camps Bay Drive.
‘I visited the site earlier today to see what is happening, and to meet the City’s project management team and the contractor. I am extremely pleased to give residents the good news that the physical work has started in all earnest. We are well aware of the impact of the road closure on residents who need to get to other suburbs as part of their daily commute and school-run, and the knock-on effect on surrounding roads that need to carry the additional traffic. Thank you for your patience, and ongoing support. I am keeping a close eye on this project and will provide you with regular feedback in coming months. Our intention is to get the work done as soon as possible, and to make use of the good weather before winter arrives,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Councillor Rob Quintas.
If all goes as planned, the project should be complete in December 2026, pending any delays or unforeseen challenges. All efforts will be made to keep to the timeline; however, progress will be impacted by inclement weather given the difficult terrain where the work is taking place.
Work to date:
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The first two months of the year were used to obtain the necessary construction documentation and permits, as well as environmental approvals as prescribed by the environmental management programme, given that Kloof Road is located within Table Mountain National Park
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Environmental approvals in terms of the National Environmental Management Act have been granted, as well as a General Authorisation for Water Use, which allows the City to undertake the rehabilitation in a protected and environmentally sensitive area
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The contractor has also prepared and received approval for method statements on what measures they are implementing to minimise and limit the impact on the sensitive natural environment
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There were large trees in the area where the road collapsed. The collapsed trees have been removed so that the repair work to the road itself can proceed
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The contractor is currently busy with preparation work for the installation of gabion retaining walls; and next, the search and rescue operation for indigenous vegetation along with the gabion retaining wall construction will commence
Project details:
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The project duration is 11 months, pending unforeseen delays or challenges
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The City will only repair what has been damaged, and cannot add improvements such as walking and cycling lanes
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Various services are located along Kloof Road such as fibre optic, water mains, and so forth. These will have to be relocated or worked around and maintained while the repair work is ongoing
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Due to the magnitude of the slip failure the remedial actions will take time
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The terrain is very steep
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Access to the site is challenging given that the construction work will have to happen from the bottom of the kloof upward towards the road, and there is no access road to the bottom of the kloof
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Getting the machinery and materials to the bottom requires meticulous logistical planning, given the environmental sensitivity of the area
Closure
The section between Kloof Nek Road and Round House Road has been closed to traffic since the long weekend of 24 September 2023 in the interest of public safety after the embankment supporting Kloof Road was destabilised, making it unsafe to carry a load.
Unfortunately, further damage occurred in 2024 when heavy rainfall caused an additional slip failure during the winter season.
‘I want to stress that the road will remain closed to the public at all times while we are busy with the rehabilitation work. This includes cycling and pedestrian traffic. This closure is in the interest of the safety and security of the public, and to ensure the contractor can focus on the work at hand. I want to thank residents and visitors for their patience, and cooperation in this regard,’ said Councillor Quintas.
