During the entire event there will be extensive noise from aircraft and cannons. Pet owners must please be aware of this.
High volumes of noise including gun fire and manoeuvres by the SANDF during capability demonstrations will be experienced, while military convoys will be travelling in and out of Nelson Mandela Bay.
During the upcoming military activities related to the Armed Forces Week road closures will take place mainly in the Summerstrand and Humewood areas.
18 and 19 February 2016 – Parade rehearsals road closures:
The following roads will be closed to allow for the parade participants to travel from the Army Support Base in Forrest Hill to the Beach road area (09h00 to 10h00) on the rehearsal days:
- Forest Hill drive along its entire length
- La Roche Drive, turning right into
- Strandfontein Rd, turning left into 2nd Ave, turning left into Beach Road.
- Beach Road will be closed on the rehearsal days from 1st Ave to Driftsands Drive from 09h00 to 13h00 on Thursday 18 and Friday 19 Feb
20 February 2016 – Final parade rehearsals road closures:
The same arrangement for the parade rehearsals will be in place, except that a military vehicle convoy will drive a circular route through the Nelson Mandela Bay after the rehearsal. The times will also be slightly earlier. The times for the road closures will be from 08h00 to 09h00 to allow for the convoys to make their way to the Beach Road Area.
- Forest Hill drive along its entire length
- La Roche Drive, turning right into Strandfontein Rd, turning left into 2nd Ave, turning left into Beach Road.
- Beach road will be closed on the 20th of February from 1st Ave to Driftsands Drive from 08h00 to 13h00.
- La Roche Drive (between Beach Rd and Strandfontein Rd) will be closed from 11h00 to 13h00.
Additionally the Southern carriageway of Beach Road will be closed between Lodge Rd and La Roche Drive from 08h00 on Saturday morning to 06h00 on Monday.
This will be to allow for the building of a tent for the guests of the parade. These tents will be built in the roadway itself. The Northern carriage way of Beach Rd between Lodge Rd and La Roche Drive will be converted into a two way road on these days (during those times that the entire road is not closed for the parade itself).
Once the SANDF vehicles pass the podium (at approximately 11h30) and turn into La Roche Road (on the wrong side) they will do the correction at the intersection of Strandfontein and La Roche again.
However, on both the 20th and the 21st of February the abnormal size vehicles will return back to the Army Support Base, whilst the rest of the military convoy will proceed on a tour of Nelson Mandela Bay.
The convoy will be travelling along the following roads:
- Driftsands, turning left into Humewood Rd, continuing straight to the Settlers Highway (N2)
- Driving 20km on the N2, turning left in R335 (St George Str)
- Left in Ngedle Str
- Left in Tyinira Str
- Right in Dibanisa Rd
- Left in Daku Str
- Right in Struanway
- Left in Spondo St
- Left in R75 (Uitenhage Rd)
- Left onto N2 (Settlers Highway)
- Right in Walmer Blvd
- Left in Forest Hill
21 February Armed Forces Day Celebrations road closures:
In the morning there will be wreath laying ceremony at the SS Mendi memorial at the corner of Mendi Rd and Avenue in New Brighton. This event will only be attended by a small number of invited guests. The roads around this area will be closed from 07h00 to 09h00.
This will be followed by the Armed Forces Day parade at the corner of Beach Road and Brookes Hill Road.
The same arrangement for the parade rehearsals will be in place, except that the roads will be closed earlier. The times for the road closures will be from 06h00 to 07h00 to allow for the convoys to make their way to the Beach Road Area. The following roads will be closed during this period:
- Forest Hill drive along its entire length
- La Roche Drive, turning right into Strandfontein Rd, turning left into 2nd Ave, turning left into Beach Road.
- Beach road will be closed on the 21st from 1st Ave to Driftsands Drive from 05h00 to 14h00.
- La Roche Drive (between Beach Rd and Strandfontein Rd) will be closed from 05h00 to 14h00 as well on the 21st of Feb.
Once the SANDF vehicles pass the podium (at approximately 11h30) and the convoy will turn into La Roche Road (on the wrong side), they will do the correction at the intersection of Strandfontein and La Roche again.
On 21 February, the abnormal size vehicles will return back to the Army Support Base, whilst the rest of the military convoy will proceed on a tour of Nelson Mandela Bay.
21 February – the convoy will travel along the following roads:
- Driftsands, turning left into
- Humewood Rd, continuing straight to the Settlers Highway (N2),
- Driving 20km on the N2, turning
- Left in R335 (St George Str)
- Left in Ngedle Str
- Left in Tyinira Str
- Right in Dibanisa Rd
- Left in Daku Str
- Right in Struanway
- Left in Spondo St
- Left in R75 (Uitenhage Rd)
- Left onto N2 (Settlers Highway)
- Right in Walmer Blvd
- Left in Forest Hill
Whilst this convoy is driving through Nelson Mandela Bay, the Military Capability Demonstration will be held at the Kings Beach area.
The main difference with the rehearsals and the final rehearsal on 20 February as well as the actual capability demonstration on 21 February is that there will be several pyro-techniques exploding on Kings Beach close to the MacArthur Pools area. This will be to simulate the “battle conditions” during the capability demonstration. For safety reasons the first 500 meters of Kings Beach close to MacArthur Pools will be closed to the public from 08h00 to 18h00 on 20 February and from 05h00 to 17h00 on 21 February.
A live broadcast of all activities will be available on 104 FM from 17 to 21 February starting at 08h00 each morning.
Alan Straton
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