Repairs to the critically damaged Kloof Road in Cape Town are on track to commence by March 2026, as the City’s Urban Mobility Directorate gears up to restore this vital access route linking the City Bowl with the Atlantic Seaboard, reports Cape {town} Etc.
The road has remained closed since September 2023, following severe damage caused by a Level-9 storm that destabilised the embankments, rendering it unsafe for use.
Unfortunately, further damage occurred in 2024 due to heavy winter rains, exacerbating the already precarious situation.
Now, the City says the first two months of 2026 will focus on securing essential construction permits and approvals, in line with the environmental management plan, due to the road’s sensitive location within Table Mountain National Park.
Local authorities have already secured the necessary environmental approvals under the National Environmental Management Act, along with a Water Use Licence that permits rehabilitation efforts in such protected areas.
‘Kloof Road is an important access route and we are well aware of the inconvenience and frustration as a result of this closure. We are eager for the project to start, and I can confirm that if all goes as planned, the contractor will be on site by March 2026 at the latest,’ stated Councillor Rob Quintas, Mayco for Urban Mobility.
He emphasised that the public should not expect immediate progress upon the issuance of permits, as much of the work in early 2026 will revolve around planning the approach to minimise environmental impact.
The repairs are anticipated to take approximately 11 months to complete, given the magnitude of the damage. The City has confirmed that the project will only focus on restoring what was lost, without the addition of any new infrastructure such as walking or cycling lanes.
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Among the complexities of the project are the various essential services located along Kloof Road, including fibre optics and water mains, which will need to be carefully relocated or worked around during the repair process.
Additionally, the area impacted by the road’s collapse is home to several large trees that will need to be removed before any repair work can commence. With the steep terrain and lack of access roads, transporting construction machinery and materials to the site presents further logistic challenges.
All construction will have to proceed from the bottom of the kloof upwards, which limits operational flexibility.
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Picture: City of Cape Town
Source: City of Cape Town
