AQuellé Tour in Durban this Sunday: These roads will be affected

AQuellé Tour in Durban this Sunday: These roads will be affected

Hundreds of cyclists will be in Durban this weekend for the aQuellé Tour Durban, taking place on Sunday.

“The aQuellé Tour Durban road race will be taking place most of Sunday morning, predominantly on the M4 between Sandile Thusi Road (Argyle Road) and Umdloti. The off-road aQuellé Tour Durban MTB presented by Cycle Lab will take place the day before, on April 20th, on trails in and around Cornubia,” race organisers said in a media statement.

At least 3,000 participants are expected in this year’s race.

Race director, Alec Lenferna, said this year’s route will be simpler than last year’s.

“The disruption will be kept to a minimum for motorists, with the only sections closed to vehicles being the M4 to Umdloti; a small portion on the M41 between Gateway and the M4; and the southbound lane of Masabalala Yengwa Avenue near Moses Mabhida Stadium. It is envisaged that all roads will be opened by 1pm on Sunday,” he added.

Motorists are advised that roads will be closed off on Sunday from 3:30am.

Lenferna said the first riders are due to start at 6.15am when the first batch of the 110km entrants sets off. The 42km start is at 8.40am and the 28km riders set off at 9am, after the 110km riders have passed the start / finish area to start their final lap.

This is what you need to know:

The 110km event is a three-lap event that will start with riders leaving from Moses Mabhida, going north on the southbound lane of the Masabala Yengwa Avenue. Participants transfer onto the M4 at Durban Country Club and stay on the Ruth First and Leo Boyd Highway until the turning point just before the Umdloti offramp. After a 180 degree turn, riders will return on the M4, back to Moses Mabhida via the Sandile Thusi Road bridge at the southern end of People’s Park, and back onto Masabala Yengwa Avenue for the start of the next lap.

The short second lap of the 110km sees riders peel off the M4 onto the M41 up to Ridgeside Road, and then rejoining the M4 southbound and back to Moses Mabhida. The third and final lap is identical to the first lap.

The 42km route is the same as the first lap of the 110km above, while the 28km event will see riders follow the same route for the 42km, but turning at Umhlanga.

A new Finish Race Village with entertainment, stalls, and club gazebos will be set up along the Durban Promenade walkway under the Ruth First Highway (the grassy park area opposite Moses Mabhida and bordered by Masabala Yengwa Avenue, Kings Park Swimming Pool, the NMR Club and the walkway under the highway).

Main Road Closures – 3:30am to 1pm

• Masabala Yengwa Avenue: Southbound lane from Kings Park to Sandile Thusi Road.

• Isaiah Ntshangase Road: Closed in both directions from Masabala Yengwa Avenue to Ruth First Highway.

• Ruth First Highway (M4): Closed in both directions from Sandile Thusi Road to Umdloti.

• M41: Closed in both directions from M4 to Ridgeside Drive.

• Ridgeside Drive: Northbound between offramp from M41 and onramp to M41.

• Sandile Thusi Road: Westbound lane closed from Ruth First Highway to Masabala Yengwa Avenue

• Battery Beach Road: Closed in swimming pool area and no access to or from Masabala Yengwa Avenue.

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