Then and now: Chapman’s Peak Drive

Then and now: Chapman’s Peak Drive

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Arguably the most scenic drive in the world, Chapman’s Peak Drive hugs the steep cliff faces of the mountain range high above the Atlantic Ocean. The nine-kilometre road boasts 114 curves and connects Hout Bay to Noordhoek and took seven years to carve and construct.

Chapman’s Peak is named after John Chapman, the captain’s mate of an English sailing ship that was stranded in today’s Hout Bay in 1607. Lack of winds left the ship stationary and so the skipper sent Chapman ashore to find provisions for the crew. Chapman recorded the bay as ‘Chapman’s Chaunce’ and the name stuck, becoming official on all navigational charts of the day.

The building of Chapman’s Peak Drive

In 1910, two possible routes for the road were planned; one going over the low point between Chapman’s Peak and Noordhoek Peak and the other following the vertical cliffs around the peaks. The more spectacular route along the cliffs was decided upon and work began in 1915 on what was one of the most ambitious road engineering projects in the world.

The chosen route was a dangerous one - the cliffs were steep and unstable. The surveyors would crawl on all fours at times while inspecting the loose terrain. The road surface was planned to follow the stable 630-million-year-old Cape Granite contour. Some of the roadside cuttings would be carved out of the softer Malmesbury sedimentary rock.

Construction started from both ends, and the first section from Hout Bay to the Lookout was officially opened in 1919. The section from Noordhoek took another three years to complete. The official opening of the entirety of Chapman’s Peak Drive was held on Saturday, 6 May 1922.

Chapman’s Peak Drive in recent years

Since its opening, Chapman’s Peak Drive has faced several closures, landslides and rockfalls. More recently, in the 1990s, a rockfall seriously injured a motorist. A court case followed and the road management agency had to pay for the damages.

However, in early January 2000, a motorist was killed and her passenger badly injured in another rockfall. The decision was taken to close Chapman’s Peak Drive indefinitely. The road was reopened in 2003, as a toll road, after years of upgrades, re-engineering and the implementation of steel nets to catch falling rocks.

The beloved scenic road was once again closed for over a year in 2008 and 2009 after is was declared unsafe and in need of major upgrades. Since 2009, Chapmans Peak Drive has remained open, besides temporary closures for maintenance and clearing after bad weather.

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Take a look at the historical pictures and story of Newlands Stadium.

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Author: Seeff