Western Cape: Franschhoek Pass closed for construction! [update]

update (12 January 2024): The Franschhoek Pass which connects Franschhoek and the towns of Grabouw and Villiersdorp will be closed between 08:00 and 17:00 on weekdays for construction purposes. The pass was open during the festive season, but construction has commenced again. The pass is therefor closed again since 08 January 2024 till the end of February 2024.
The pass was reopened to selected categories of light motor vehicles after it was closed following a severe storms and flooding that hit the Western Cape in September 2023. The teams started working on temporary repairs as soon as the engineering team was satisfied that the landslips had stabilised sufficiently to start work.
The works have reached a point where the pass must be closed daily to initiate the soil-nailing process, of phase one. Soil nailing is a technique used to stabilise existing slopes. This soil reinforcement process uses metal tendons which are drilled and grouted into the soil to create something that represents a gravity wall. For this to be done, the pass needs to be closed due to the size of the equipment that is used and the size of the working area required.
Light motor vehicles will be able to traverse the pass outside of the closure times. The use of the pass, even during times when the pass is open, by vehicles with a mass of more than 5 tons remains strictly prohibited.
Road users are strongly advised to continue using alternative routes.
Work on permanent repairs continues. The Department of Infrastructure foresees that it will still be a considerable period before the pass will allow two-way traffic. The first of various temporary closures will be in place as per the tables below. 

The Western Cape Infrastructure Department has announced that the Franschhoek Pass, which connects Franschhoek and the towns of Grabouw and Villiersdorp, is closed due to construction work following severe storms and flooding that hit the Western Cape in September 2023. According to Infrastructure MEC Tertuis Simmers,  the closure of Franschhoek Pass will take effect from Mondays to Fridays between 08:00 and 17:00 from 28 November 2023 until 15 December 2023. The pass will then be open from 15 December 2023 (with the proceed-when-safe arrangement and weight restriction) until 07 January 2024 and closed again from 08 January 2024 till the end of February 2024. Simmers further said that light motor vehicles will be able to traverse Franschhoek Pass outside of the closure times. The use of the pass, even during times when the pass is open, by vehicles with a mass of more than five tons remains strictly prohibited.