The Stellenbosch municipal council recently approved the closure of Nagtegaal Road in Onder Papegaaiberg.
This was according to Otniel Jooste, councillor at Stellenbosch Municipality, who confirmed that the application was approved at a council meeting on 31 March.
This follows applications from the residents of Nagtegaal Road who requested for the road to be closed due to increased traffic on the road, according to a traffic impact report commissioned by the municipality.
The issue sparked debate amongst residents of the neighbouring streets, according to Adri van Zyl, a resident of Hoep-Hoep Road, which links with Nagtegaal Road.
The Stellenbosch municipal council chambers are located in Stellenbosch central. During a recent meeting by the municipal council, the closure of Nagtegaal Road in Onder Papegaaiberg was approved. PHOTO: Hlomla Mdala
Decision to affect nearby streets
Residents from neighbouring streets, such as Hoep-Hoep Road, believe the road closure will create more problems than it will solve, said Van Zyl.
“We have lots of pedestrians from Stellenoord and Geluksoord old age homes using Hoep-Hoep Road,” she said. “This is supposed to be a residential highway for out-of-car activities.”
Van Zyl said that those who previously used Nagtegaal Road will now divert to Hoep-Hoep Road, which might create dangerous conditions.
She also suggested that they will need speed-preventing mechanisms, such as speed humps, in Hoep-Hoep Road.
“Taxis and motorists alike have no respect for residents nor pedestrians,” said Van Zyl. “We urgently ask for speed calming right down Hoep-Hoep, not only at one place.”
Nagtegaal Road in Onder Papegaaiberg is set to be closed for traffic by Stellenbosch Municipality. This comes after residents of the street wrote to the municipality requesting for it to be closed due to traffic. This is according to the municipal agenda of 31 March 2025. PHOTO: Hlomla Mdala
A year in the making
Johannie Serdyn, the ward 11 councillor, said that she notes the concerns of the residents of the neighboring streets. However, it was the residents of Nagtegaal Road who had requested for the road to be closed.
According to Serdyn, the residents also signed a petition to support their application.
Stellenbosch Municipality will soon close down Nagtegaal Road, as decided in the meeting of 31 March. Residents from neighbouring streets, like Hoep-Hoep, are concerned, as they believe the closure will lead to more problems in terms of traffic in the area. This is according to Adri van Zyl, a resident of Hoep-Hoep Road. INFOGRAPHIC: Hlomla Mdala
Residents of Nagtegaal applied for the road closure in March 2024, stating their reasons, which the municipality noted down in the agenda of the municipal council meeting of 31 March 2025.
Serdyn said that the street closure was now in the hands of the municipality, as all municipal processes were followed.
“A public participation process took place,” said Serdyn. “It is out of my hands if all the processes were in place.”
The municipality has also confirmed that a traffic impact study was conducted and public participation took place, according to Justine Fillies, senior clerk for infrastructure services at Stellenbosch Municipality.
The budget for this road closure will be approved in this financial year, according to the municipal agenda of 31 March 2025.