Cape Town drivers are urged to plan ahead as elevated traffic volumes and road closures are expected due to the State of the Nation Address on Thursday. Picture: Armand Hough/Independent Newspapers
Cape Town drivers have been advised to make arrangements, where possible, to mitigate the impact of the elevated traffic volumes expected on Thursday due to the State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Parliament is hosting the SONA on Thursday from 7pm, and the SONA2025 debate and reply will take place on 11,12 and 13 February.
Due Thursday’s ceremony, which will be held at Cape Town City Hall, motorists and pedestrians are advised of parking restrictions and temporary road closures in and around the Cape Town City Hall from 1 to 19 February, and the complete closure around the City Hall on 6 February 2025.
The event will result in a number of road closures and restrictions. Some of these will be in place until 19 February.
Road closures before, during and after the event will affect the normal flow of traffic in and around the city bowl, as well as the available parking space.
Signage has been installed in the affected areas; however, motorists have been urged to check the list of closures carefully and to plan their routes accordingly.
Mayco Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith said: “A number of roads are already closed, and further closures will follow later in the day.
“Please, avoid non-essential travel into the CBD and surrounds today (Thursday), and if you have to be in this part of the city, plan your routes accordingly, factor in additional time for travelling, and try to leave the CBD earlier, if possible,” Smith said.
“Our traffic officers will be on duty to help manage traffic flow, but it is likely that there will be impacts, and we request road users to please be patient and courteous.
“I also want to appeal to motorists to keep the intersections free between light changes, so that the traffic can flow. The blocking of intersections is one of the biggest issues during peak traffic times,” he added.
The SA Weather Services has also advised of a Yellow level 1 warning for damaging winds and waves leading to difficulty in navigation at sea expected between Cape Columbine and Cape Agulhas, spreading to Plettenberg Bay on Friday.
In Cape Town, partly cloudy to cloudy weather is expected over the eastern and southern parts with isolated showers and rain along the south coast, otherwise fine and cool to warm.
“The wind along the coast will be fresh to strong southerly in the west, but moderate to fresh south-easterly along the south coast, where it will become strong easterly from the afternoon,” they said.
A list of road closures can be accessed here: https://bit.ly/3EcEVix
theolin.tembo@inl.co.za