Good Progress on Upgrading Main Road 191 Between Old Paarl Road and Franschhoek

Good progress is being made on the Western Cape Department of Infrastructure project on Main Road 191 (MR191) between the intersection of Old Paarl Road (MR189) and Franschhoek Pass at Theewaterskloof Dam to do essential flood-damage repairs, upgrading, and routine maintenance on this critical provincial road.

“This project which started in April 2024 and is currently estimated at R827.5 million, is a significant investment in the region”, said Jandré Bakker, DOI Director: Operational Support. “

Contract C749.02 is in place to:

• Realign and rehabilitate about 9.5km of MR191, upgrading it to a Class 1 road between the intersection with MR189 and Helshoogte Road (MR172);
• Build two new bridges as well as culverts, drains, retaining walls, auxiliary lanes and 16 bus stops along this section of MR191;
• Install a new watermain on MR189 and relocate existing services;
• Resurface about 14km of MR191 from the intersection with MR172 to the urban edge of Franschhoek;
• Resurface about 16km of MR191 from the urban edge of Franschhoek; and
• Upgrade and maintain drainage structures along this route. The project is expected to be fully completed by the third quarter of 2027”, Bakker continued.

“Two parts of MR191 are currently subject to a 24-hour closure for essential upgrading and repairs – the part of MR191 between km5.8 and km6.6 for layer works and the construction of a retaining wall and two culverts; and the part of MR191 between km26.02 and km 29.21 for edge break repairs and slip repairs,” said Western Cape Minister of Infrastructure Tertuis Simmers. “This does not mean that the road is closed for 24-hour periods but simply means that there are stop-and-go traffic accommodation points in place around the clock,” he explained. “A day closure is also in place on the part of MR189 between the Medi Centre and the Mercedes Benz dealership so that the new watermain can be installed. Again, this does not mean that the road is closed during the day but refers to the fact that there is stop-and-go traffic accommodation during the but after hours there is free flow of traffic,” Minister Simmer continued.

“Current notable construction activity includes the road-over-railway bridge and the sidewalk on the Van Wyk’s River Bridge, layerworks are in progress, and kerbs and channels are being installed. But I am most pleased with the targeted 66 000 person days of work we are set to create through this project of which we have already achieved over 40 000. Of the 384 projected job opportunities we have already created 250 of these. We have already invested R60.2 million in in targeted enterprises against the target of R124 million. We have further set a contract participation goal for 40 local enterprises and we have already supported 30. This shows our commitment to job creation and economic growth,” Minister Simmers added.

“This is a major project and has many components which even includes works on Franschhoek Pass which sustained significant damage during severe weather events over the past couple of years but we know that the current inconvenience road users experience will be a short-term sacrifice for many years of growth and safe traveling in the area,” Minister Simmers concluded.