By Mbulelo Baloyi
- N3 highway is getting busy as Christmas approaches with more trucks and holiday traffic.
- Several dangerous spots identified between Durban and Johannesburg where crashes often happen.
As South Africans head home for Christmas, the busy N3 highway between Durban and Johannesburg is getting packed with trucks carrying festive goods and holiday traffic.
The 580km stretch has become notorious for deadly crashes, especially during the holiday season. It runs from Durban’s harbour through the Free State and Mpumalanga to reach Gauteng.
While the government is spending billions of rands to improve the road, including widening lanes between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, accidents are still causing deaths and delays.
Here are the most dangerous spots to watch out for on your N3 journey:
In Free State:
• Between Villiers and Warden
• From Warden to Swinburne/Harrismith and Montrose up to the KZN border
In KZN:
• Van Reenen’s Pass
• Between Tugela Toll Plaza in Ladysmith and Escourt Ultra City
• From Mooi River Toll Plaza to Cedara
• Hilton to Peter Brown and Town Hill down to Chota Motala
• The whole 80km stretch from Pietermaritzburg to Durban’s EB Cloete/Spaghetti Junction
The N3 is South Africa’s most important transport route, connecting to neighbouring countries like Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Mozambique.
The government sees it as key to improving the economy through its Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs).
Pictured above: Graphic showing the dangerous spots.
Source: Turf Bester
