Despite its name, the pass was only constructed in 1968, by the Divisional Council of the Cape.[1]
Route
Ou Kaapse Weg begins at a T-junction with Steenberg Road in Westlake, close to the southern end of the M3 expressway. It rapidly ascends the northern face of the Steenberg mountains, through two hairpin bends, to the summit at an elevation of 315 metres (1,033 ft).[1] Near to the summit are entrance gates to the Silvermine Nature Reserve. The pass then descends along the valley of the Silvermine River, passing by Noordhoek to end at a junction with Kommetjie Road (M6 road), which provides access to Kommetjie, Fish Hoek and other places in the Fish Hoek Valley.
In 2012, Ou Kaapse Weg suffered severe traffic congestion because it was used as an alternative route to avoid construction work on Main Road between Muizenberg and Fish Hoek.[2]
