[imagesource: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers]

Only a few have managed to evade the relentless winter deluge and tempestuous skies that have gripped Cape Town and its surroundings.

The roads have become a battleground, where the stormwater drain system’s failures have wreaked havoc, forcing multiple lane closures and plunging the city into over a week of massive traffic chaos.

Alongside the trail of destruction from the consecutive storms, the primary concern is the closure of the N1 highway around Century City, which has resulted in massive traffic congestion and lengthy delays for commuters during rush hour, Daily Maverick reports.

In a dramatic turn of events, the Western Cape Department of Infrastructure has sounded the alarm over more than 23 transport infrastructure and road closures in just one week. As extreme weather batters the region, motorists are being urged to navigate with caution.

The department revealed that the N1 northbound near Sable Road succumbed to severe flooding, as the nearby wetland in the rail reserve by Century City reached its breaking point under the relentless onslaught of last week’s brutal storms.

“Because the water is backing up onto the carriageway, multiple lane closures are necessary for road user safety reasons,” provincial Infrastructure Department spokesperson Jandre Bakker told IOL.

“This is causing significant tailbacks.”

Cape Town – N1 Highway (Latest): #Flooding opposite Canal Walk – QUEUE from the city centre area pic.twitter.com/wfeYfGw4mB

— TrafficSA (@TrafficSA) July 23, 2024

He said that the N1 is designed in a way that ensures water moves from one side of the N1 to the other via stormwater drainage systems.

“The volume of water that needs to be drained is, however, exceeding the capacity of the system. This high water volume was caused by multiple weather incidents following each other in an already saturated area,” he added.

Motorists are being forced to navigate alternative routes and endure heavy traffic. Traffic SA reports gridlock on the N1, declaring, “alternative routes are the big issues this morning.”

Cape Town – N1 Highway (Latest): #Flooding opposite Canal Walk – inbound queue from Monte Vista pic.twitter.com/73awqzKQER

— TrafficSA (@TrafficSA) July 23, 2024

When pressed for a timeline around when the lanes might reopen, Bakker couldn’t commit to a date.

“Our engineering teams are on site and trying to find alternative ways to supplement the stormwater drainage process,” Bakker added.

The City of Cape Town has issued an urgent warning, announcing numerous road closures in the CBD from Monday, 15 July, lasting until Friday, 26 July. Despite a brief respite of clearer skies this weekend, Capetonians should prepare for more rain this week, according to the South African Weather Services.

 

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Overloaded capacity levels in the city’s drainage system, leading to widespread damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure has made Alan Winde, the premier of the Western Cape, announce a disaster declaration in the province.

I suppose it is just a matter of waiting out the storms and the somewhat slow government intervention.

[source:dailymaverick]