It’s that time of the year again, when the president gives the State of the Nation Address.

Last year, Cyril spoke a good game, and who knows what this year’s event will bring with it, other than nauseating ‘red carpet’ coverage of who and what our country’s top politicians are wearing.

Here are some things that we can probably or definitely look forward to:

Probs – the EFF will interrupt SONA before being forcibly removed from the chambers

Probs – the ANC will pretend that the education system actually works (it doesn’t), and has improved in the last year (it hasn’t).

And defs – there will be road closures in Cape Town, and traffic is going to be off the charts terrible.

To help you navigate the chaos, EWN has collated all of the necessary info.

ROAD CLOSURES:

State of the Nation Address rehearsal – Wednesday, February 6

Cape Town CBD

Wale Street: between Burg and Adderley Streets. – 19:30 -22:00

Bureau Street: between Adderley and Parliament Streets. – 19:30 – 22:00

Spin Street: between Corporation and Parliament Streets. – 19:30 – 22:00

Parliament Street: between Parliament and 35m from Longmarket Street (excluding parking garage access point) – 19:30 – 22:00

Plein Street: between Roeland and Longmarket Streets – 19:30 – 22:00

St. John’s Rd: between Roeland and Vrede Street. – 19:30 – 22:00

Mostert Street: between Plein and Buitenkant Streets. – 19:30 – 22:00

Roeland Street: between Plein and Buitenkant Streets – 19:30 – 22:00

Newlands – Rondebosch – Mowbray – Observatory – Salt River – Woodstock – Cape Town

M3 (Union Avenue, Rhodes Drive, De Waal Drive) inbound: Newlands Avenue to Jutland Avenue including pedestrian bridges and on-ramps: UCT and Woolsack Drive

Barnham Road, use Buitenkant Street (open) or Crassula Avenue – Exercise, but no closure.

Woolsack Drive westbound: Main Road (M4) – Rhodes Drive (M3) – Exercise, but no closure.

Anzio Road: Groote Schuur Hospital to De Waal Drive (M3). – Exercise, but no closure.

N2 (Settlers Way, Nelson Mandela Boulevard) inbound: Muizenberg off-ramp (M3) to Roodebloem Road – Exercise, but no closure.

SONA – Thursday, February 7

Cape Town CBD

Wale Street: between Burg and Adderley Street. – 06:00-23:45

Bureau Street: between Adderley and Parliament Streets. – 6:00 – 23:59

Spin Street: between Corporation and Parliament Streets. – 6:00 – 23:59

Parliament Street: between Parliament and 35m from Longmarket Street (excluding parking garage access point) – 6:00 – 23:59

Plein Street: between Roeland and Longmarket Streets – 6:00 – 23:59

St. John’s Road: between Roeland and Vrede Streets. – 6:00 – 23:59

Mostert Street: between Plein and Buitenkant Streets. – 6:00 – 23:59

Roeland Street: between Plein and Buitenkant Streets – 6:00 – 23:45

Roeland Street: between Buitenkant St and Brandweer Streets – 17:45 – 19:30 for 35 minutes

Hope Street: between Roeland and Wesley Streets – 6:00 – 23:45

Glynn Street: between Buitenkant and Hope Streets – 6:00 – 23:45

Wesley Street: between Buitenkant and Hope Streets – 6:00 – 23:45

Gallery Lane: whole – 6:00 – 23:45

Government Avenue: whole – 6:00 – 23:45

Bouquet Street: whole and parking area – 6:00 – 23:45

Commercial Street: between Plein and Buitenkant Streets. – 6:00 – 23:45

Church Square – 6:00-23:45

Newlands – Rondebosch – Mowbray – Observatory – Salt River – Woodstock – Cape Town

M3 (Union Avenue, Rhodes Drive, De Waal Drive) inbound: Newlands Avenue to Jutland Avenue. including pedestrian bridges and on-ramps: UCT and Woolsack Drive

Barnham Road, use Buitenkant Street (open) or Crassula Avenue – 17:45 – 19:30 for 35 minutes

Woolsack Drive westbound: Main Road (M4) – Rhodes Drive (M3) – 17:45 – 19:30 for 35 minutes

Anzio Road: Groote Schuur Hospital to De Waal Drive (M3) – 17:45 – 19:30 for 35 minutes

N2 (Settlers Way, Nelson Mandela Boulevard) inbound: Muizenberg off-ramp (M3) to Roodebloem Road – 17:45 – 19:30 for 35 minutes

Newlands

Klipper Road: Main Road (M4) to Newlands Avenue – 17:45 – 19:30 for 35 minutes

Princess Anne Avenue: Newlands Ave to Union Avenue – 17:45 – 19:30 for 35 minutes

Newlands Avenue: Dean Street to Princess Anne Avenue – 17:45 – 19:30 for 35 minutes

Dean Street westbound: Main Road (M4) to Newlands Ave – 17:45 – 19:30 for 35 minutes

Additional Controlled Roads & Closures:

1. Security fencing will line the route in the CBD. There will be guarded pedestrian crossing points during peak time on Plein St (Shortmarket, Spin and Barrack St’s.) Pedestrians should be encouraged to make use of Buitenkant Street.
2. Company Gardens will be closed on Thursday 7 February from 06:00 to 23:59.
3. Darling Street between Adderley and Buitenkant Streets and Wale Street between Adderley and Queen Victoria Streets may be closed during the day on 7 February for security reasons.
4. Contingency closure in case of an emergency on 7 February 2019 (08h00-23h45) may include the following roads.

At this point, we’re going to stop, because if you need to know more, you’ll find it over at EWN.

Best practice would be to avoid the CBD as far as possible and, if you are caught up in it all, don’t forget your hard hats.

Good luck out there!

[source:ewn]