Ou Kaapse Weg (Afrikaans for Old Cape Way), numbered as route M64, is a mountain pass in the Cape Peninsula that connects the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town with the Fish Hoek Valley. It traverses the Steenberg mountains and passes through the Silvermine Nature Reserve. Ou Kaapse Weg is one of three routes to the Fish Hoek Valley: the others are Chapman's Peak Drive along the Atlantic coast and Main Road along the False Bay coast.
History
Despite its name, the pass was only constructed in 1968, by the Divisional Council of the Cape.[1]
Route
Ou Kaapse Weg begins at a T-junction with Steenberg Road in Westlake, close to the southern end of the M3 expressway. It rapidly ascends the northern face of the Steenberg mountains, through two hairpin bends, to the summit at an elevation of 315 metres (1,033 ft).[1] Near to the summit are entrance gates to the Silvermine Nature Reserve. The pass then descends along the valley of the Silvermine River, passing by Noordhoek to end at a junction with Kommetjie Road (M6 road), which provides access to Kommetjie, Fish Hoek and other places in the Fish Hoek Valley.
In 2012, Ou Kaapse Weg suffered severe traffic congestion because it was used as an alternative route to avoid construction work on Main Road between Muizenberg and Fish Hoek.[2]
References
- ^ a b "Ou Kaapse Weg (Old Cape Road), Cape Town". Mountain Passes of South Africa. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
- ^ Yeld, John (7 December 2012). "Crisis meeting over Ou Kaapse Weg". Cape Argus. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
External links
Geographic data related to Ou Kaapse Weg at OpenStreetMap
