Western Cape Infrastructure Department made the announcement about Franschhoek Pass Temporarily Closed Franschoek’s pass connecting Franschhoek to the towns of Grabouw and Villiersdorp due to the ongoing reconstruction that are effected by a recent storm with flood after that hit the province on 27th
Simmers stated that the pass was re-opened to selected categories of light motor vehicles upon the closure of the said route in the aftermath of what he called a severe weather system that struck the Western Cape, and with this being the case, once the relevant engineering team had affirmed that the
He said that the works have come to a point where he closes the pass every day in order to run the phase 1 soil-nailing (technical action used to stabilize existing slopes).
Closure date for the Franschhoek Pass
MEC for Infrastructure Tertius Simmers announces that Franschhoek Pass will be closed from Mondays to Fridays from 8 am to 5 pm between 28-15 December 2023.
From 15th Dec, 2023 with proceed-when-safe arrangement and weight restriction, the pass would remain open through Jan 7, 2024, thereafter close on the 8th Jan, 2024 and reopen after Feb
The soils reinforced In this process use metal tendons; grouting of these tendons in the soil creates a gravity wall system. The pass has to be closed because it would require much space for the equipment as well as enough area in which people work.
According to Simmer, light motor vehicles would be allowed through the pass outside closure hours. However, any vehicle weighing above 5 tonnes are not allowed to transverse the pass even if it’s an open period.
As for the road user’s refusal to abide by the established rules, the MEC is greatly concerned and advises to keep on using alternative routes.
One of the major concerns is the manner in which some drivers fail to adhere to road signs as well as limitations set out in various instances. There have been multiple complaints from customers about interlink big cars using the pass after seeing prohibition signs for this.
The destructive attitude of this behavior undermines the repair functions and affects all other repair activities in general. Another concern is that if these trucks ignore the signs and reach the shutdown points during the shutdown periods, they will be blocked there until the road opens up as there is no place to turn around,” Simmers commented.
The safety of road users will alwayss be the top priority while, in spite of the shortage to which the closure has subjected the local community and visitors, and the burden caused by the weight limitation, Simmers said.
Simmers stated, “the department is continuing work on permanent repairs. The department foresees it will still be sometime before two-way traffic would be allowed on the pass.”
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