Temporary closure between Old Oak Road and R300 interchange | Western Cape Government

News

News

Temporary closure between Old Oak Road and R300 interchange

9 May 2017

The portion of the N1 between Old Oak Road and the R300 interchange will be closed from 19:00 on 12 May 2017 until 05:00 on 15 May 2017 to permit the safe demolition of the western portion of the Old Oak Road Bridge. This is part of a Department of Transport and Public Works project to extend the third lane on the N1 from west of Durban Road to beyond the Old Oak Interchange. The demolition has been scheduled for a weekend to minimise disruption to traffic travelling along the N1. 

The Old Oak crossing consists of two bridges, each carrying two lanes of traffic. The western bridge (carrying northbound traffic and constructed in 1963) must be demolished and rebuilt to meet current clearance requirements and to make way for the new third lane. The eastern bridge (carrying southbound traffic and constructed in 1993) will remain in use.

In order to demolish the western bridge safely, it is necessary to close the N1 to traffic and divert traffic onto other routes for the duration of the demolition operation. Contractor Martin & East will work 24 hours a day to complete the work in a single weekend. Traffic diversions and demolition noise are expected to affect local residents. The Department apologises for the inconvenience. 

Due to the close proximity of residential buildings to the Old Oak Bridge and the potential for damage to the eastern bridge, the contractor will not destroy the western bridge with explosives. Instead, the bridge will be dismantled using machine-mounted hydraulic breakers, scissors and shears. Still footage of the operation from freeway management system cameras will be updated every minute and can be viewed at www.i-traffic.co.za. 

On an average weekend, traffic on the affected section of the N1 often exceeds 45 000 vehicles a day. Traffic diversions are expected to cause heavy congestion along detour routes. Motorists who use the N1 to travel through the area are encouraged to avoid the road closure by using the greater freeway network (N1 – M5 – N2 – R300 or N7 – N2 – R300). 

Traffic to the affected area will be directed along the detours described below. 

N1 outbound (north) to N1

Exit at Old Oak interchange (Exit 25), left onto Eversdal Road, right onto De Bron Road (M73), right onto Okavango Road (M137), left onto N1.

N1 outbound (north) to R300

Exit at Old Oak interchange (Exit 25), left onto Eversdal Road, right onto De Bron Road (M73), right onto Brackenfell Boulevard, right onto Old Paarl Road, left onto R300.

N1 inbound (south)

Travel onto R300 (south), exit at Bottelary Road Interchange (M23), right onto Bottelary Road, right onto R300 (north), take Old Paarl Road interchange (Exit 29), left onto Old Paarl Road (R101), right onto Old Oak Road, left onto N1. 

In order to accommodate increased traffic volumes, Eversdal Road will be changed into a one-way for the duration of the closure. For safety reasons, the eastern Old Oak Bridge will be closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic during demolition. While watching the demolition of the bridge may be interesting, the area is a potentially dangerous construction site. Interested onlookers will make traffic congestion worse. It would be better to watch the process unfold at www.i-traffic.co.za. 

Once the demolition of the bridge is complete, both the N1 and Old Oak Road will be reopened to traffic with the same number of lanes in both directions as before. The approaches to the eastern Old Oak Road Bridge have been changed so that, after the demolition, northbound traffic will be diverted onto the eastern bridge. 

Queries and complaints may be made at the Cape Town Freeway Facebook page, i-Traffic webpage (www.i-traffic.co.za) and Twitter @CapeTownFreeway

We apologise for any inconvenience caused and ask for your patience in the interest of providing better, safer roads for all. 

Media Enquiries: 
Byron la Hoe
Communication Officer
Department of Transport and Public Works
Tel: 021 483 9813
Cell: 079 281 8570
Email: byron.lahoe@westerncape.gov.za
 

You can follow the Department of Transport and Public Works on Twitter: @WCGovTPW