GEORGE NEWS - Repairs to the Seven Passes Road is expected to start early in September, and the estimated opening date should be somewhere in the last quarter of 2026.
In a statement earlier this week, the Western Cape Department of Infrastructure (DoI) said the designs for the repairs have been completed in collaboration with the appointed consultant, Hatch Africa. A limited bid process and the appointment of a contractor are to follow soon.
The road has been closed following repeated flooding since November 2021.
Due to the extent of the damages, the total construction time will be about 18 months, but the road’s travel way should be reinstated by the last quarter next year, enabling it to be opened to traffic.
The department said it had experienced several unanticipated delays in acquiring permits and obtaining the details of existing service infrastructure along the road. Since March this year, geotechnical surveys and all other related investigations were being completed, and the tender was advertised at the end of March through a limited bid process.
The cost of the repairworks is estimated at R53.4m.
Traffic along Kaaimans Pass can be observed through online live feed thanks to a camera installed at Salina’s Beach Restaurant.
Online live camera feed of Kaaimans road
A year is a long time to wait for those frustrated motorists who insist on relief from the traffic congestion between George and Wilderness on the N2, which is undergoing upgrading.
To help motorists plan their travels, Salina’s Beach Restaurant’s owner, Massimo Mariotti, has invested in some camera equipment that is now providing online, real-time feed to anyone who wants to check the traffic volumes. Mariotti said they receive many calls from motorists who want to check on the traffic conditions. “We have a perfect vantage point from where you can observe a section of the N2 and Kaaimans road up to Dolphin’s Point.”
Last week, frustration levels week soared when a truck overturned in Kaaimans Pass, resulting in a stop-and-go system for the largest part of the day. This caused a kilometres long hold-up - as far to the east as the traffic circle at Astron Energy The Waves, says Mariotti.
“We were serving coffee and sandwiches to motorists in the line. Delays were far over an hour. People complained. There were visitors from Knysna and Sedgefield and some missed appointments. One man said he missed his flight.”
Minister Tertuis Simmers has appealed to motorists to refrain from using the Seven Passes Road as traffic loading will exacerbate the damage and delay repairs. Photo supplied by the DoI.
Western Cape Infrastructure Minister Tertuis Simmers acknowledged the frustration, but appealed to motorists to refrain from using the Seven Passes Road.
There have been reports of locals bypassing temporary road closure measures, which is illegal. “It places road users at risk while subjecting the already damaged road infrastructure to further traffic loading, which increases the risk of catastrophic failure and fill slope collapses. If this were to happen, this will further delay our repair efforts and the route’s reopening.”
Check the traffic flow live feed here.
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