Cape Town motorists travelling through the city centre on Thursday are being urged to plan ahead and consider alternative routes as extensive road closures come into effect for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA).
The annual address will once again be held at City Hall while reconstruction and refurbishment work continues at the Parliament precinct, prompting heightened security measures and traffic restrictions across the central business district.
The City’s Traffic Services confirmed that closures will be implemented before, during and after the event, with some restrictions already in place and others scheduled to remain until 28 February.
Officials warned that parking availability in affected areas will also be limited. Although signage will guide motorists, drivers are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the closure schedule to avoid delays.
Among the key closures on Thursday are:
Darling Street between Buitenkant and Tenant streets from 17:45 to 19:30, and between Plein and Buitenkant streets from 04:00 to 23:59.
Corporation Street between Caledon and Darling streets, Longmarket Street between Plein and Buitenkant streets, and Parade Street between Caledon and Darling streets will be closed for most of the day.
Plein and Lower Plein streets between Roeland and Castle streets will also be inaccessible.
Sections of Roeland Street, Commercial Street and Buitenkant Street will either be closed or temporarily converted to accommodate traffic management measures.
Several major routes feeding into the CBD including parts of Main Road (M4), Settlers Way (N2), Union Avenue, Rhodes Drive, Philip Kgosana Drive and roads around Newlands, Rondebosch and Observatory will experience brief closures of about 35 minutes between 17:45 and 19:30.
Additional restrictions will apply between 13 and 26 February, with certain streets closed daily from morning until late evening.
The City said these measures are necessary to ensure security and smooth operations for the high-profile event.
For commuters, however, the message is straightforward: leave early, check your route and if you were hoping for a quick dash through the CBD, it might be wishful thinking.