All you need to know about the 947 road closures

With the Telkom 947 Cycle Challenge approaching, the organising committee is urging all road users to familiarise themselves with the road closures on 20 November.

As a necessary precaution to keep all the cyclists safe, certain roads will be closed on the day by the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department, Johannesburg Roads Agency and the City of Joburg. These will be closed for as short a time as possible to ensure the safety of the cyclists and then will be re-opened but motorists are urged to use alternate routes during affected times.

The route, which starts and ends at Riversands Commercial Park meanders through the streets of Johannesburg from Summit Road around the city on the M1, Jan Smuts and Witkoppen, bringing cyclists home via Cedar Road, through Steyn City Boulevard and back up to the finish, along Riversands Boulevard.

Watch this video for a more in-depth explanation of the route:

There will be a number of dedicated supporter zones this year, including Telkom spectator zones along Jan Smuts, Witkoppen and a 947 and Telkom powerzone at Dunkeld. Joburgers are encouraged to come out and support the cyclists and soak up the atmosphere.

For those who would like to come to the start and finish, free parking will be made available onsite at Riversands Commercial Park and GPS coordinates can be found on the 947 App. Traffic officials and marshals will also be on hand to help traffic move in a swift manner.

“We are always acutely aware of the impact that the race has on our residents and strive to do everything possible to minimise the impact on those who need to move around on Cycle Challenge Sunday,” said Ravi Naidoo, 947 station manager.

Individuals can also use their TomTom navigation system to navigate around the road closures by:

• Click on the Route icon
• Insert your departure point in the block that appears
• Press tab
• Insert your destination point
• Press enter and your device will successfully re-route you around the road closures.

For more information, route maps and supporters maps, visit the 947 Cycle Challenge website.