The Franschhoek Pass which connects Franschhoek and the towns of Grabouw and Villiersdorp has been reopened to selected categories of motor vehicles. The first vehicles traversed the pass at 5pm on Tuesday November 7.
The pass was closed following a severe weather system which hit the Western Cape during the Heritage Day long weekend.
According to information provided by the Provincial Department of Infrastructure, the teams started working on temporary repairs as soon as the engineering team was satisfied that the landslips had stabilised sufficiently to start work.
The temporary works have reached a point where we can now allow access through the pass.
Light motor vehicles will be able to traverse the pass but should note that there is one bypass of a short length and five “proceed when safe” single lane areas. There will not be pointsmen but signage for the one lane to “proceed when safe”. The use of the pass by light vehicles with a mass of more than 5 tons is strictly prohibited.
Road users are strongly advised to continue using alternative routes.
The provincial Minister of Infrastructure Tertuis Simmers acknowledged the efforts of the teams working at the site. “The team worked tirelessly to get to this point, and I thank them for their continued dedication.”
Mr Simmers continued and said: “I am aware of the inconvenience the closure has had on the local community and visitors and the impact the weight limitation will have but safety of all road users remains our primary concern.
Work on permanent repairs continues. The department foresees that it will still be a considerable period before the pass will allow two-way traffic. Temporary closures are highly likely during the construction period.
