Chapman's Peak Drive is considered one of the most scenic coastal drives in the world. It was originally known as the 'Hout Bay - Noorde Hoek Road'. It is named after John Chapman, the Captain's mate of an English ship, the Consent. He was nearly left behind at Hout Bay during 1607 or 1615 (date uncertain), after he had been sent to look for a safe anchorage and fresh water. The crew of the Consent named Hout Bay 'Chapman's Chance' after this incident. Chapman's Peak is regarded as the oldest surviving English place name in South Africa. On 29 December 1999 a tragic accident occurred when a rock fell onto a car and the passenger was killed. The road was closed early in January 2000. During 2001 the Western Cape Provincial Roads Administration took over the project from the South Peninsula Administration. Contractors were invited to apply for prequalification to submit tenders for the restoration of the road. Eventually two full proposals were submitted and after much investigation and analysis a consortium was selected. This consortium was named Entilini Concessions.
Construction proceeded at a frenetic pace and involved very difficult and intricate engineering. The road was re-opened as a toll road on 20th December 2003. Currently there is a temporary toll booth on the Hout Bay side of the road. The final nature and position of the permanent toll plaza is still the subject of an Environmental Impact Assessment which may still take several months to be finalised.

INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR CHAPMAN'S PEAK ENGINEERS:
International recognition was received by local civil engineers for the work done on Chapman's Peak Drive. This project beat eight other international projects to win the 2004 civil engineering award for road design. The award was the annual prestigious Bently Systems Award that acknowledges excellence in various engineering disciplines worldwide. Representatives of the Chapman's Peak Drive Project were presented with a glass sculpture and one thousand U.S. dollars (which will be donated to the Red Hill Development Forum which aims to uplift and empower disadvantaged communities).
Wendy Jutzen of Entilini Concessions:"We are so proud to have won the award, especially because it means that our country has been recognised for our engineering expertise".

Toll tariffs per one-way trip (inclusive of 14% VAT):


Motor Cycle: R13

Light motor vehicles: R20

Minibus: R27

Minibus taxi: R8

Midibus and heavy motor vehicles: R80

Large bus: R200

There are discounts available for regular users. These discounts increase on a sliding scale depending on the number of uses per month. Users who wish to benefit from these discounts need to pre-register with the Concessionaire. Details are available at the Noordhoek Tourism Association Information Office at the Farm Village in Noordhoek.

Bona fide users of designated areas, viewing sites and mountain trails between Hout Bay and Lookout Point during hours of daylight and who enter Chapman's peak Drive from Hout Bay are exempt from toll fees.

Cyclists are exempt from toll fees but the following restricitions apply:
- no cyclists under the age of 12 unless accompanied by an adult
- no cyclists permitted during hours of darkness
- cycling in a peleton is prohibited

Hikers and walkers are exempt from toll fees but the following restricitions apply:
- pedestrian movement between Lookout Point and Noordhoek Corner is prohibited at all times
- all animals taken along the road must be leashed at all times

Runners are exempt from toll fees but the following restrictions apply:
- runners are not permitted between Lookout Point and Noordhoek Corner during the following times:
weekdays (off-peak season - 6 January to 14 Dec)
7am to 8am
4.30pm to 6pm
hours of darkness
Weekends, Public Holidays, Peak holiday season - 15 Dec to 5 Jan)
10am to 7pm
hours of darkness

Views:

Catchfences:

The Road:

The "tunnel" and roofed area