The economy of the Western Cape’s regions depends on functional infrastructure. The Meringspoort and Swartberg Passes connect the Klein and Groot Karoo regions, driving interconnected business growth from George, De Rust and Oudtshoorn, right through to Laingsburg and Prince Albert.
Premier Winde spent two days, 16-17 July 2026, visiting these vital pieces of infrastructure which were devastated in recent record-breaking floods.
Meiringspoort consists of 20 river crossings, all of which were damaged in some way. Four major sections of the road were completely washed away. The full and permanent restoration of the pass will take at least two years and will cost hundreds of millions of rand.
Restoration work has already commenced from the De Rust side, with a temporary solution set to be in place as soon as December 2026, reopening the route to vehicles with strict access controls in place.
The Swartberg Pass was also closed due to flooding but was reopened in June after emergency works were carried out. The Premier drove part of the Pass and received a briefing from Department of Infrastructure officials at the Teeberg Lookout Point.
The Premier acknowledged the hard work of those currently working on infrastructure restoration projects across the province.
“These recent severe weather events were unprecedented, with hundreds of thousands of people affected, and many hundreds of roads closed. The Western Cape road network connects communities, businesses and families, driving growth and jobs in every town and city. There are people on site across the province restoring roads in just about every district. Thank you for the hard work. We have a long way to go still, but we are moving in the right direction.”
The Premier reiterated the importance of road users adhering to regulations.
“The Swartberg pass is not designed for use by heavy motor vehicles, such as semi-trailers and trucks. These vehicles must find alternative routes, via Laingsburg or Willowmore. While we rebuild bridges, passes and roads, I urge road users to follow road signs and adhere to warnings.”
The Premier also visited the farming community in Rawsonville to discuss the rebuild of the Smalblaar bridge which is the most direct access point for transport between farms, residents and businesses. The permanent restoration of the bridge will take more than 12 months, but a temporary solution will be in place before the end of the year.
“These bridges and passes enable businesses to thrive and residents to access opportunities. I understand their importance and am focused on ensuring we get safe solutions in place as quickly as possible. Thank you to everyone who took the time to meet with me to share concerns and challenges,” he stated.
The Premier will receive ongoing briefings from officials in respect of restoration projects across the province, with further oversight visits planned to impacted districts.
