Brace for 94.7 road closures

CYCLISTS are poised to saddle up for Joburg’s biggest cycling event of the year, the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge, tomorrow morning.

Organisers of the race will be pulling out all the stops and implementing several temporary road closures on the day to ensure the event goes smoothly for cyclists and motorists alike.

In its 18th year, the challenge boasts a new venue and revised route.

The new home of the race is Century Property’s Riversands Commercial Park, in Erling Road and just beyond Fourways.

Tomorrow, tens of thousands of cyclists and supporters will converge on Riversands, which is the start and end of this year’s challenge.

The challenge starts at 5.30am and temporary road closures will be manned on affected routes throughout the day. As the last cyclists finish, the roads will be cleared as soon as possible for motorists.

The highway will be cleared by about 2.30pm and by 5.45pm all roads will be cleaned, cleared and reopened.

The new route, which starts on a fairly steep incline on Mnandi Road, will approach the finish line with an even more challenging climb up to the king of the mountains along Cedar Road and then cruise through Steyn City Boulevard, a brand-new dual carriageway, before making its way back up to the finish, along Riversands Boulevard.

Certain roads will be closed at specific times and motorists will be required to use alternate routes.

For those attending the event, plenty of free parking will be available. Authorised and emergency service personnel will be on hand to help manage traffic flows.

GPS co-ordinates can be found on the 9.47 app as well as on all the maps available on the website.

Visit www.cyclechallenge.co.za for all road closures, a detailed route map, and an interactive map with alternative routes.

Residents who will be affected by the temporary road closures are urged to familiarise themselves and take note of the closure times. “We are acutely aware of the impact that the race has on our residents and strive to do everything possible to minimise this on those who need to move around on Cycle Challenge Sunday,” Ravi Naidoo, 94.7 programming manager, said.

The Cycle Challenge is supported by the City of Joburg. Residents are invited to come out and support the cyclists on the route.