Good progress being made on Montagu Pass repair project
Good progress being made on Montagu pass (Dr1640) repair project (contract c1322.03)
Media Release by Western Cape Minister of Infrastructure, Tertuis Simmers
The Western Cape Department of Infrastructure (DoI) is making good progress completing permanent repairs to the Montagu Pass.
“While the damage the road suffered is significant, the extended closure has given our team time to do a comprehensive analysis. The team responsible for the hydrological assessment determined that five of the 22 stormwater catchment areas are under capacity, and that this is one of the main causes of significant flood damage to the pass, with one such structure causing a full-width break,” said Tertuis Simmers, Western Cape Minister of Infrastructure.
Additional funding
In October 2024, the Western Cape Government received additional funding through the National Disaster Management Grant which allowed the DoI to initiate the dedicated Western Cape Government Department of Infrastructure Flood Damage Repairs and Response Strategy across the worst-hit areas in the province - namely in the Garden Route, Overberg and Cape Winelands districts.
As part of this strategy, well-known engineering firm Zutari was appointed to provide professional engineering services for the repairs to the Montagu Pass and on-site assessments started in November 2024. Between November 2024 and February 2025, key stakeholders, including business representatives and heritage agencies, were involved to ensure alignment in order to mitigate the risk of delays. The project is subject to strict deadlines and processes to comply with national government funding conditions.
Timeline and milestones
At the end of February 2025, the design scope of the project was approved. This is a crucial step because it allows the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) environmental application process to commence. This process is still under way.
The surveys that were received in early March 2025 are being processed to inform the detailed engineering design. This design is crucial to the NEMA environmental application which the department aims to submit to the applicable authorities by the end of March 2025. Given that the Montagu Pass is a heritage site, this may take between six and eight months and depends on the public participation and appeals process, which may delay matters.
It is, therefore, anticipated if all goes according to plan without delays, that NEMA and other environmental authorisations should be received by late September 2025.
This means that construction could commence in late October 2025. Current projections are that the project will take between eight and ten months from that point, at an estimated cost of R80 million.
If everything goes according to plan, the pass is expected to be fully opened by August 2026. This is a tentative milestone and is wholly dependent on the conditions described above being met in time.
Scope of the project
The current project scope includes the cleaning of existing drainage structures, additional drainage structures, cleaning of the existing side drains, repairing/re-instating side drains, re-graveling of the roadway, blading of the existing roadway as well as repair/reconstruction of stone walls. This project scope is subject to further change during the detailed design phase.
Up to August 2026 and beyond
To contribute towards proactive work, the in-house maintenance methods have been reviewed and revised to align with heritage practices. We wish to thank Heritage Western Cape, which worked with us and approved the revised routine maintenance methods and activities. Currently it is envisaged that routine maintenance will be done under the supervision of the District Roads Engineer: Garden Route and Central Karoo.
“This will go a long way to ensure that the Montagu Pass is maintained appropriately to improve the resilience of this important road asset to cope with future floods, pending the conclusion of a capital repairs/reinstatement/limited-improvement project,” said Minister Simmers.
“I am aware of the significance of this route, from a tourism and economic perspective. Our teams are working as fast as they can to avoid any delays. We will keep the public informed on our progress as the project unfolds,” Minister Simmers concluded.
Media Enquiries:
Melt Botes
Spokesperson for Provincial Minister Tertuis Simmers
Tel: 082 431 0068
Cell: 021 483 8067
Email: Melchior.Botes@westerncape.gov.za
Mr. Jandré Bakker
Head of Communication
Department of Infrastructure
Email: Jandre.Bakker@westerncape.gov.za