Nokubonga Ndlovu|Published
Motorists travelling through Lansdowne face a 63-hour road closure this weekend as the City of Cape Town carries out a major construction milestone on the elevated Sky Circle, which will serve future MyCiTi bus services.
The intersection connecting Strandfontein Road, Govan Mbeki Road (M9) and Jan Smuts Drive (M17) will be completely closed from 1pm on Friday, 23 October, until 4am on Monday, 26 October 2026.
Drivers are advised to avoid the area and use alternative routes, including Lansdowne Road and other major surrounding roads, while construction work is under way.
Sky Circle construction reaches major milestone
The weekend shutdown will allow contractors to connect the bridge ramps to the newly cast elevated ring structure, which has now reached its full design strength.
The Sky Circle is an elevated roundabout approximately 6.2 metres above ground level, dedicated exclusively to upcoming MyCiTi bus services.
Crews will also install a permanent traffic signal system at ground level beneath the structure.
“This is a massive project milestone, and we are excited to see how the engineering feat is now taking full shape,” said Councillor Rob Quintas, Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility.
“While the closure is in effect, the contractor will also install the new traffic signal system at the intersection.”
What changes when the intersection reopens?
When the intersection reopens at 4am on Monday, 26 October, the temporary ground-level traffic circle, which has been in place since March 2025, will be officially retired.
Traffic will return to a standard four-way intersection controlled by traffic lights.
Regular traffic will continue to use the ground-level road, while the elevated Sky Circle above will be reserved for MyCiTi express buses once the trunk route along Govan Mbeki Road begins operations.
Alternative routes and traffic management
The City has advised drivers to avoid the area during the closure and use Lansdowne Road or other major surrounding roads to get around the affected intersection.
Flag personnel and temporary detour signage will be deployed to assist with local access and guide motorists.
City officials have thanked the local community and regular commuters in advance for their patience and cooperation as the final preparations are completed.