Sona 2022: Road closures to look out for

This year’s State of the Nation (Sona) address will take place at the Cape Town City Hall, and not its traditional, now gutted, Parliament venue. 

The event is bound to affect local motorists and pedestrians, with government reporting parking restrictions and temporary road closures in and around City Hall until 16 February. 

This is to allow for post-Sona debates and replies, taking place from 14 to 16 February.

The area surrounding City Hall will be fully closed on Thursday. President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver the Sona at 7pm. 

Here are road closures to be mindful of from today until 16 February: 

Corporation Street between Darling and Longmarket Streets will be completely closed to motorists. A walking path is available for pedestrians.

The following roads are also affected by the closure of the perimeter of City Hall until 16 February: 

• Darling Street
• Corporation Street
• Parade Street
• Longmarket Street

Wednesday – rehearsals between 5pm and 11:59pm 

• Darling Street between Plein and Buitenkant Streets 

• Darling Street between Buitenkant Street and the Castle of Good Hope 

Thursday – from 4am to 11:45pm 

• Commercial Street between Plein and Buitenkant Streets, and Plein Street between Roeland and Barrack Streets, will become bi-directional
• Roeland Street between Buitenkant Street and Buitenkant Street between Roeland and Darling Street will be closed from 5:45pm to 7:30pm 

Temporary closures on the following routes between 5:45pm and 7pm: 

• Klipper Road, Newlands: from Main Road (M4) to Newlands Avenue
• Princess Anne Avenue, Newlands: from Newlands Avenue to Union Avenue
• Newlands Avenue, Newlands: from Dean Street to Princess Anne Avenue
• Dean Street, Newlands, westbound: from Main Road (M4) to Newlands Avenue
• M3, Union Avenue, Rhodes Drive, Philip Kgosana Drive (De Waal Drive), Roeland Street, City-bound carriageway: from Newlands Avenue to city centre
• Woolsack Drive, Rondebosch, westbound: between Main Road (M4) and Rhodes Drive (M3)
• Anzio Road, Observatory: from Main Road (M4) to Philip Kgosana Drive (De Waal Drive) (M3)
• N2, Settlers Way City-bound carriageway: from Main Road (M4) to city centre
• Buitenkant Street: from Glynn to Strand Streets
• Darling Street, Sir Lowry Road: from Buitenkant to Tennant Streets (this will include a closure of Hanover Street and Tennant Street)

Contingency closures in the case of an emergency will also take place from 8am to 11:45pm, applying to roads contained in parking restrictions. 

Parking restrictions from midnight on Wednesday until Thursday: 

• Parade, Cape Town
• Roeland Street: outgoing lane between Plein Street and 37 Plein Street (Bld. Next to Nieuwmeester parking)
• Buitenkant Street from Glynn to Darling Streets (all 3 days 16:00 – 20:00 and on 9 Feb from 23:59 to completion)
• Plein Street: between Roeland and Darling Streets
• Spin Street: between Parliament and Plein Streets
• Commercial Street: between Buitenkant and Plein Streets
• Parade Street: between Caledon and Darling Streets
• Corporation Street: between Darling and Caledon Streets
• Caledon Street: between Corporation and Parade Streets

Road closures in parking restrictions include the following: 

• Darling Street: between Plein and Buitenkant Streets
• Longmarket Street: between Plein and Buitenkant Streets
• Corporation Street: between Caledon and Darling Streets
• Parade Street: between Caledon and Darling Streets
• Plein Street: between Roeland and Barrack Streets
• Commercial Street: between Nieuwmeester Parking and Plein Street.

NOW READ: Sona 2022: R1.9 million set aside for this year’s event