CHAPMAN’S PEAK DRIVE

Description

Essentials about Chapman’s Peak Drive in brief

If you visit Cape Town and have a rental car, you should not miss this highlight. Chapman’s Peak Drive is the dream of every car driver and motorcyclist. The almost ten kilometer long coastal road south of Cape Town on the west side of the Cape Peninsula is definitely one of the most spectacular mountain roads in the world.

The course of Chapman’s Peak Drive

Chapman’s Peak Drive winds its way in 114 curves directly between the sea and steep cliffs along from Hout Bay to Noordhoek. Numerous tourists drive the route every day (ideally from south to north to be on the seaside) and also many car manufacturers have already shot commercials for their latest models in front of this grandiose backdrop.

Although the construction of the road seemed impossible at first, under the direction of geologist Charl Marais, the project succeeded. Construction work began in 1915 under sometimes life-threatening working conditions on the rocky slopes of the Table Mountain massif that drop precipitously into the sea. Seven years later, the road was finally opened to traffic.

Despite the prescribed maximum speed of 20 km/h, driving over Chapman’s Peak Drive was not without danger in the past. Time and again, boulders fell and killed people. When the road was wet with rain, many cars skidded, hit the rocks or plunged into the depths. Accidents mounted, and when 30 percent of the roadway was buried in 2000, Chapman’s Peak Drive was closed.

Since the public sector could not raise the funds for rehabilitation, the road was leased to a private consortium for 30 years. The consortium invested heavily in rebuilding and securing the road. Huge safety nets for falling rocks were installed and a tunnel and a half-tunnel were blasted into the rock at two particularly dangerous sections of the road. At the end of 2003, Chapman’s Peak Drive was reopened to traffic. To recoup the high restoration costs, a toll has been charged for the drive since then. However, with this grandiose route, most motorists are happy to pay.

At regular intervals, there are viewpoints on Chapman’s Peak Drive where you are allowed to park. From there you can enjoy fantastic views of the Cape Peninsula and the Atlantic Ocean. If you are lucky, you can sometimes even spot a pod of dolphins in the water.