The Western Cape Government says the estimated cost of the damage to provincial roads following the Heritage long weekend floods has been put at R500 million.

This as authorities are working to re-open all roads affected by the torrential rains. Several roads are still closed, while others have stop/go measures in place.

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“Our primary focus is on reopening all affected roads when it is safe to do so. Our repair and reconstruction efforts are a top priority,” emphasised Premier Alan Winde.

Winde added that the process cannot be rushed.

“Unfortunately, this will take time. But we are doing everything we can to return full economic activity to the hardest hit regions.”

Western Cape MEC of Infrastructure, Tertuis Simmers teams on the ground are continuing with assessments and reconstruction of the damaged road infrastructure.

He has urged all road users to take note of the safety and road closure signs, as the damage on some roads may not be visible on the surface.

“A further reminder that when a road is closed, it is closed for all vehicles including motorcycles as well as bicycles and pedestrians. We have had alarming reports of people cycling through closed sections and walking through affected areas to take photos. The success of rebuilding our roads and reconnecting our communities requires a joint effort by all citizens and stakeholders.”

The latest update on the road closures:

• Franschhoek Pass remains closed due to several slips (“landslides”) along the road. On-site repair teams are working to reopen one lane of traffic by 31 October. Once a single lane has been reopened, traffic will be managed through stop/go traffic operations. At this point it is unlikely that heavy motor vehicles will be allowed to use this road until both lanes of the Pass have been reopened. The estimated cost of these repairs is not yet available.

• Clarence Drive remains closed for “through traffic” with only a section of the road opened from the Gordon’s Bay approach up to The Grille Shack restaurant. On-site repair teams are still working from both The Grille Shack and Rooi Els sides of the closure to restore those parts of the road that repair teams can reach. The Department of Infrastructure is aiming to reopen one lane of traffic along Clarence Drive by mid to late December. The estimated cost of these repairs can only be assessed once all the clearing has been done.

• The Hemel-en-Aarde road between Caledon and the R43 near Hermanus remains temporarily closed. Flood damage caused portions of the road to be scoured and washed away by the Onrusrivier which traverses through the Hemel and Aarde valley. The damage caused to the roadway and road fill has been assessed and is currently considered unsafe for public use. On-site repair teams are working in order to have the road reopened for one-lane traffic under traffic by the end of October 2023. Once a single lane has been reopened, temporary traffic accommodation measures will be implemented through stop/go traffic signals. Currently, the most important measure is to make the road safe and open again for use by the traveling public. Permanent repairs of the damaged road and road infrastructure is estimated to cost R80 million.

• Good progress is being made to fully reopen the road between the R317 and McGregor. Both lanes of this road are expected to be reopened to traffic by 20 October. The entire project, including resurfacing, is expected to be complete by 31 October. The estimated cost of these repairs is not yet available.

• A single lane of traffic is currently open at the intersection of the R43 and the R44 near Kleinmond. After initial assessments and further investigations, the repairs to the failed culvert at this intersection are expected to be complete by late January 2024. The estimated cost of these repairs is not yet available.

• The road through Meiringspoort (N12), between the towns of Klaarstroom and De Rust, was also damaged. The road has, however, been cleared of debris and silt from the river over-topping some of the low water structures and is currently open to traffic without any traffic accommodation measures or single lane stop and go in place.

• It is hoped that Chapman’s Peak Drive will be reopened by the end of this week. This is subject to clearance from geo-technical consultants. Damage to the roadway was limited.

The status of repairs on the N2 at Botrivier is unclear, as this road falls under SANRAL.