Chapman's Peak Drive in Noordhoek, Cape Town, South Africa | Cliffs

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.