Outrage as Jakes Gerwel roadworks grind to a halt

WHAT began as a long-awaited upgrade to one of Cape Town’s busiest roads has now left residents and road users seething.

- TRACY-LYNN RUITERS

Months of delays, disrupted routines, gridlocked traffic, and increased criminal activity have turned the rehabilitation of Jakes Gerwel Drive — a major arterial route - into a mounting source of anger for those living and commuting through Goodwood and surrounding suburbs.

The roadworks, which stretch between Viking Way and Voortrekker Road, were initially met with optimism.

According to residents, construction began in December 2024, but by February, workers had all but disappeared from the site, these residents say — with no clear answers and little progress to show.

“We were so excited when they started. Finally, the road was going to get sorted,” said Ryno Palm, Chairperson of the Goodwood Ratepayers’ Association. “Then one day, they just stopped. It’s June now, and we're sitting with half a dug-up road, huge machines just standing there, and still no proper explanation.”

Palm said residents were told the surface needed time to “settle” before tarring could resume - a delay that has since been compounded by rain.

“Now it's raining. So what was the plan here? They should’ve thought ahead. We need answers.”