Cape Town motorists face mounting frustration as traffic grinds to a halt on the N1 near Sable Road, following the closure of two lanes due to extensive flooding in Century City.
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According to IOL, the provincial Infrastructure Department attributes the N1 flooding near Century City to the wetland in the rail reserve reaching capacity during this past week’s heavy rains.
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Department spokesperson Jandre Bakker explained that recent weather events have filled the wetland in the rail reserve area next to the N1 near Century City, causing water to overflow onto the highway.
‘Because the water is backing up onto the carriageway, multiple lane closures are necessary for road user safety reasons. This is causing significant tailbacks.’
Bakker said the Department of Infrastructure has been aware of the issue and has been working on solutions since last week, issuing multiple advisories.
‘The road is designed to ensure that water moves from one side of the N1 to the other via stormwater drainage systems. The system is running at full capacity.’
‘The volume of water that needs to be drained is, however, exceeding the capacity of the system. While the system is designed to handle large water volumes, the water volume is much higher as it was caused by multiple weather incidents following each other in an already saturated area,’ Bakker said.
Bakker added that there is no set timeline for reopening the flooded lanes, as it depends on how quickly the water can drain.
‘Our engineering teams are on site and trying to find alternative ways to supplement the stormwater drainage process.’
As of 4pm Monday, only the inbound lane remained closed. Bakker advised motorists to be cautious, allow extra travel time, and use alternative routes where possible.
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Picture: Cape Town Freeways / Facebook