From Cape Town to the Huguenot Toll Plaza the road is a four lane dual carriageway freeway and in good condition. From Huguenot Toll Plaza to the tunnel the road is a four lane undivided road and through the tunnel a single carriageway. The speed restriction in the tunnel is 90 km/h. East of the tunnel through Du Toitskloof the road is again a dual carriageway up to due west of the Molenaars River. This part of the road is in a good condition but accidents occur frequently due to speeding. The speed restriction on this road is 100 km/h. In rainy or misty conditions a reduction in speed to 80 km/h is recommended.
From the Molenaars River it is a single carriageway road up to Laingsburg except for the section through Worcester, where the road is a dual carriageway road and also at Hex River Pass where the northbound and southbound carriageways are separated. The road is generally in good condition with surfaced shoulders. The southbound carriageway of the Hex River Pass has been re-aligned in certain places and an arrestor bed has been constructed just before the hairpin bend known as "Spookdraai". Motorists must be on the look out for pedestrians on the road just north of De Doorns.
Occasionally potholes can occur on sections between Leeu-Gamka and Hanover and between Colesberg and the Orange River especially after rain. Construction works with manual STOP/GO and traffic signals control are in progress south of Richmond and just south and 10 km north of Hanover. Drivers are requested to make use of the rest areas between Laingsburg and Beaufort-West. The Kanniedood road safety project is operational on this road and a number of driver alert sections have been constructed at regular intervals. Motorists must be on the look out for pedestrians on the road at Leeu-Gamka, Beaufort-West and Hanover.
There are no current construction projects on this section. The road is generally in a good condition. Motorists need only be aware of occasional lane closures where the maintenance contractors are working on guardrail, pothole or edge break repairs.
The tolled section of the N1 has recently been extended southwards from Kroonstad to the southern end of the Bloemfontein bypass (Sydenham Interchange). A new toll plaza is to be constructed immediately south of the Verkeerdevlei intersection. This should be operational by June 2003.
Construction works between Bloemfontein and Kroonstad occur at three places, namely:
Bloemfontein bypass – asphalt repairs to both carriageways
Zandkraal to Winburg – rehabilitation and widening
Ventersburg to Kroonstad – pavement repairs
The construction works on the Bloemfontein bypass will start in November 2001, with completion towards the end of 2002. The asphalt surface will be repaired and resealed. A minimum of one lane per carriageway will be open to traffic at all times.
Reconstruction works on the 46 km section of the N1 south of Winburg include pavement widening and the construction of climbing lanes. Two-way traffic will be accommodated over most of the construction site. As two existing bridges are not wide enough to accommodate two-way traffic during construction, there will be manual STOP/GO control during the day and traffic signals at night (during 2002). Construction should be complete by June 2003.
On the 40 km section between Ventersburg and Kroonstad, the road surface is being repaired in half widths. Traffic will be accommodated in one direction at a time by means of manual STOP/GO control during daytime, the road being open to traffic at night. The road will be resealed early in 2002 and the whole works are expected to be complete by May 2002.
Elsewhere on this section of road, routine maintenance will be carried out for the repair of potholes, guardrails and cutting of grass. Temporary closures may be encountered.
From Kroonstad to the Edenville Interchange, the road is a four lane undivided freeway in good condition. From the Edenville Interchange to the Vredefort/Koppies Interchange, the road is a single carriageway freeway in good condition. From the Vredefort/Koppies Interchange to the Parys/Sasolburg Interchange the road is a four lane undivided freeway in good condition. From the Parys/Sasolburg Interchange to the Klein Rietspruit Interchange, the road is a dual carriageway freeway in good condition. Be cautious of potholes after heavy rain on this section of the road. From the Klein Rietspruit Interchange to Golden Highway the road is in a good condition. From the Golden Highway Interchange the dual carriageway freeway has six lanes in good condition, up to the Rigel Avenue Interchange in Pretoria. No construction works will be executed and routine road maintenance teams will be present along all sections of the route. On the section between Rigel Avenue Interchange and Proefplaas Interchange, construction works are in progress at night time. Repair work commenced in March 2001 and will be completed by December 2001.
Construction has started on the N1 portion of the Platinum Toll Road from the Proefplaas Interchange to Zambesi Interchange, at the new Kameeldrift Interchange and the new Hammanskraaal Toll Plaza. From Pretoria to the Kranskop Mainline Toll Plaza, the road is a four lane dual carriageway freeway in fair condition. Be alert for pedestrians and animals in the Hammanskraal Area. From the Kranskop Mainline Toll Plaza to the Nyl Mainline Toll Plaza, the road is a four lane undivided freeway in good condition. From the Nyl Mainline Toll Plaza to Pietersburg, the road is a four lane undivided freeway in good condition. There is no construction work, only routine road maintenance teams working on this section of the route.
From Pietersburg to Louis Trichardt, the road is a two lane single carriageway in good condition. Be alert for pedestrians and animals in the Matoks Area. From Louis Trichardt to Beit Bridge, the road is a narrow single carriageway in fair condition. No construction works is being executed and routine road maintenance teams will be present along the route. Be cautious of potholes after heavy rain.
From Middelfontein to Pietersburg, the road is a single carriageway road with passing lanes in a fair condition with visible road markings and road signs. Be cautious of potholes after heavy rain. No construction works is being executed and routine road maintenance teams will be present along the route.
From Cape Town to Somerset-West the road is a dual carriageway freeway and in good condition. However, the shoulders are uneven. Motorists must be aware of pedestrians and animals crossing the road between the Airport interchange and Somerset West. From Somerset West to west of Mossel Bay the road is single carriageway with climbing lanes where necessary and in good condition, potholes may occur at Sir Lowry’s Pass. From Cooper Station to Mossel Bay West Interchange, construction works are in progress with traffic signals and STOP/GO control. From Mossel Bay West Interchange to George the road is a dual carriageway freeway and in good condition and from George to Bloukrans River the road is a single carriageway, with surfaced shoulders and climbing lanes and is generally in fair condition. Motorists must be on the look out for pedestrians in the vicinity of George, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay and The Crags. Drivers need to proceed with caution through Kaaimans River Pass between George and Wilderness. Drivers are requested to travel at the posted speeds.
The road is generally in a good condition over the distance of 200 km, except for a short section of 15 km in the vicinity of Storms River where the road width is narrow and limited passing opportunities exist.
This section is about 250 km and, with the exception of the first 50 km, the road is narrow and without surfaced shoulders. Passing opportunities are limited and caution is advised. Motorists are advised to adhere to the 100 km/h speed limit. In the vicinity of Grahamstown road signs are displayed indicating a short section of uneven road. In addition, this area is also prone to heavy mist at times. Cattle crossing the road can be encountered.
The road between Grahamstown and King William’s Town is prone to potholes in rainy conditions. Cattle and other livestock can also be encountered between the Fish River and King William’s Town.
This section is 55 km long and is in a good condition but cattle and other livestock can be encountered over this section. Pedestrians crossing the road may also be encountered.
This section is 420 km long and is generally in a fair condition, but it is prone to potholes in rainy conditions. Between East London and the Kei River potholes may be encountered on the shoulders of the road. Cattle and other livestock can be encountered over this section.
Construction work is nearing completion at the Kei Cuttings, with limited road works to be completed.
No construction work is being carried out on this section of road. Repair of potholes will be taking place between Stafford’s Post and Harding as well as routine maintenance works throughout the section.
No new major works have been programmed for the Oribi Toll Plaza, Umtentweni and Izotsha Satellite Plazas, except regular maintenance works. In order to expedite the passage through the toll plaza, motorists must have their toll fees ready. Motorists must enter and exit cautiously as most of the toll plazas have had automated booms installed.
As part of the National Roads Agency’s commitment to providing a service to the motorists, route patrols are conducted along the toll road. Motorists requiring assistance can also call the 082-911 mobile number which is linked to Rescue 911. This number also serves as a Customer Care number. SOS telephones are to be installed along this route, which will also be linked to the Rescue 911 control centre.
Motorists proceeding directly to Port Shepstone Central or Harding/Kokstad must take the Exit No 45 via the Local Ramps at the Oribi Toll Plaza. Motorists must also note that public facilities are not available at the Plazas and stopping is strictly prohibited.
Work commenced on the section of road between Hibberdene and Umzinto in September 2001. The work involves the reconstruction of the asphalt layers over a distance of 26 km. Motorists will be confined to one lane over 5 km sections in both directions. Motorists must note that the speed limit has been reduced to 60km/h within the 5 km construction zones.
Elsewhere, normal maintenance works like grass cutting, repairs to edge breaks, potholes and guardrails can be expected. There is also a contract to undertake repairs to several of the bridges along this section of the N2. These activities should not be disruptive as closures are generally restricted to shoulder closures only. Respect for the maintenance crews and workers on the structures can be shown by adhering to the reduced speed limits put in place for their safety.
There are no construction projects that will disrupt motorists along this portion of the N2. There is, however, a contract to undertake repairs to several of the bridges along this section of the N2. This should not be disruptive as closures are restricted to shoulder closures only. Respect for the workers on the structures can be shown by adhering to the reduced speed limits put in place for their safety.
No major works are programmed for the North Coast Toll Plaza, except the regular maintenance works. Most of the toll plazas have had automated booms installed, motorists must enter and exit cautiously.
Motorists can also contact the Operator on the Customer Care number at (032) 945 4177 for non-emergency type requests/complaints. SOS telephones are to be installed along this route, which will also be linked to the emergency control centre.
The motorist must also be guarded for the recent increase in vehicles doing illegal "U" turns north of the Dokodweni Toll Plaza. These range from light to very heavy vehicles. The Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) are monitoring the situation but it is especially more dangerous at night when the RTI are not present and the heavy vehicles switch off their lights to turn illegally, to avoid detection. The motorists are advised to drive slowly and cautiously when approaching the vicinity of this plaza.
At the Mvoti plaza, there has been an increase in the number of people, mostly children, selling fruit and cool drinks at the concrete aprons just North and South of the plaza. They sometimes trespass into the toll collection area to sell their wares although there are security guards on patrol. Motorists stopping to buy or warn away the sellers can cause injury to themselves, other motorists and the sellers as well. A formal selling area north of the Mvoti Plaza along the left hand lane is being investigated.
Road rehabilitation operations have recently been completed with the result that the road is in good condition with the exception of the last 40 km beyond Mkuze. There will, however, be the usual maintenance teams working on the side of the road. Work on a new interchange at Nseleni will start in December 2001 with an expected completion date before the end of 2002. This will eliminate the at-grade staggered intersection that currently serves the communities of Nseleni and Richards Bay.
The reconstruction of the first 80 km of road from Hluhluwe to Mbazwana, the turn off to Sodwana Bay, has been completed. This means access from the south to Sodwana Bay is now on surfaced roads. Work on the section north of Mbazwana up to Mseleni is ongoing and motorists will be diverted onto deviations along the length of the existing road. The construction of the section of road from Mseleni to Phelandaba (approximately 34km) will only commence in January of 2003 and is currently in poor condition. This route is not recommended for passenger vehicles in wet conditions.
The rehabilitation (strengthening of the road by the addition of new pavement layers) of the section of the route between Phelandaba and the Moçambique border has been completed and it is now surfaced all the way to the border post. Due to the high number of pedestrians and cattle along the route motorists should be continuously alert. Motorists are warned that speed humps have been constructed at the approaches to, and within, the town of KwaNgwanase and these should be negotiated with caution, especially when towing boats. Motorists must be aware that there will be work on the edge of the road on certain sections where sidewalks are being constructed.
Motorists going to Kosi Bay or Moçambique could also exit the N2 about 15 km north of Mkuze and follow the route across the Lubombo Mountains and Jozini along Main Road 522. This road is being attended to by the KZNDOT and potholes are limited to a section between the Ndumu and Thembe game reserves.
Other than occasional small maintenance works where localised potholes are being repaired, motorists can expect an unhindered passage on this 45 km length of road. During the holiday period motorists should expect congestion as the topography, road geometry and traffic volumes combine to reduce safe overtaking opportunities.
A contract for the repair and overlay between Candella Road (Durban) and Pinetown is currently on the go and is scheduled for completion in March 2002. In order to minimise disruption to traffic, the work is carried out at night between the hours of 19:30 and 06:00 from Sunday to Friday. During construction, at least two lanes will be open to traffic. The full length of the road will be open to traffic over weekends, holidays and daylight hours during the week.
Elsewhere along the road a contract has been let for repairs to many of the overpass and viaduct structures. This should not be disruptive as closures are restricted to shoulder closures only. However, respect for the workers on the structures can be shown by adhering to the reduced speed limits put in place for their safety.
At Mariannhill Toll Plaza one speed toll lane, in each direction on the extreme right, has been provided for light vehicles paying by cards (no receipts available). These speed lanes will be identifiable by the following signage CARD ONLY LANE. These are automated lanes and have no collector present. Debit, Diners and American Express cards are not accepted, whereas fleet cards and other credit cards are accepted.
At Key Ridge on the N3 northbound carriageway the new compulsory truckstop is working well. The Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) man the truckstop at regular intervals and should vehicles not be in a roadworthy condition, they are pulled over into the lay-bye area of the truckstop from where they are towed away.
Between Camperdown and Hilton work has commenced on the replacement of the direction signs. Warning signs are in place at the work areas, and motorists are requested to proceed with caution.
At Pietermaritzburg work is to commence in January 2002 on the notorious Town Hill where pavement repairs and improvements to both carriageways will improve road safety. The construction period will be for two years. Motorists and truckers must expect congestion and the inevitable slow passage through the work areas. Two lanes will be available at all times.
The N3 between Cedara (20 km north of Pietermaritzburg) and Heidelberg is operated as a concession route by N3 Toll Concession. Other than routine maintenance repairs along the whole route only the sections between Howick to Mooi River and Warden to Villiers are receiving attention in the way of extensive patching repairs and reseal work. Work areas are restricted to 4 km lengths with minimum gaps of 5 km between work sections. New toll plazas are now in operation on the Bergville Interchange ramps leading into Ladysmith from the south and on the R103 near the existing Tugela Toll Plaza at the bottom of Van Reenen’s Pass.
Beyond Villiers (Wilge Toll Plaza) major construction of the doubling of the existing carriageway is well advanced. Parts of the new southbound carriageway have been completed and traffic diverted onto it so that reconstruction of the northbound lanes can be undertaken. Where construction is immediately adjacent to the existing road, motorists should travel with caution. Lane widths are reduced at three locations where new interchange structures are being constructed. Please travel within the posted speed limits. Construction of the entire section between Villiers and Heidelberg is expected to be completed by November 2001 when it will operate under a new toll facility, at De Hoek.
From Heidelberg to Heidelberg Road Interchange at Vosloorus, be aware of potholes after the rain and rutting in places. From Heidelberg Road Interchange to Geldenhuis Interchange, construction work commenced during March 2001 to end by June 2002. At least one lane, in each direction will be available all the times between Heidelberg Road Interchange and Elands and 2 lanes between Elands and Geldenhuis. From the Geldenhuis Interchange to Buccleuch Interchange the road is in a good condition, with visible road markings and road signs. Routine road maintenance teams will be present along the route.
From Witbank to Middelburg the road is a single lane carriageway with climbing lanes in good condition. The gravel shoulders are worn in places. No construction works will be executed and routine road maintenance teams will be present along the route.
From Rebecca Street to Lotus Gardens the road is a single carriageway in good condition. Be alert for pedestrian activity the Lotus Gardens area. From Lotus Gardens to the Pelindaba Mainline Toll Plaza, the road is a four lane dual carriageway in good condition. The section of 5 km over the Hartbeespoort Dam is a single carriageway in good condition. The section from the R512 Interchange to the Bokfontein T-junction is also a single carriageway road. No construction works will be executed and routine road maintenance teams will be present along the route. Be cautious for pedestrians and animals in the Bapong area.
From Rustenburg to Zeerust the road is a narrow single carriageway in good condition. Be aware of pedestrians and animals in the Moedwill area west of Rustenburg. From Zeerust up to Skilpadshek (South African/Botswana Border) the road is a very narrow single carriageway. Be alert for pedestrians and animals through Dino Kana. No construction works will be executed and routine road maintenance teams will be present along the road.
From Pretoria up to the Rayton/Cullinan Interchange, the road is a four lane dual carriageway in good condition. From the Rayton/Cullinan Interchange to the Valtaki Interchange, the road is in poor condition. Be aware of edge breaks and potholes on this section of the road. From the Valtaki Interchange to Balmoral (Gauteng/Mpumalanga Border), the road is in a fair to good condition. No construction works will be executed and routine road maintenance teams will be present along the route.
The N4 from the Gauteng/Mpumalanga Border at Spitskop up to the Moçambique border is operated by Trans African Concessionaires (TRAC). No construction works will be executed. Routine road maintenance teams will be present along the route.
Facilities for the control of truck overloading is being constructed adjacent to the road. Weigh-in-motion scales will be installed in the road surface which may affect the flow of traffic.
This road is in poor condition, particularly between Senekal and Paul Roux, where the Free State provincial authorities are continuously undertaking repairs. This section of road is to be transferred from the Free State Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport to the National Roads Agency in April 2002.
Over the 340 km on the N6 the road is in a generally good to fair condition. Between Cathcart and Queenstown, over a distance of 55 km, a reseal project has recently commenced where motorists will encounter STOP/GO traffic control conditions. North of Queenstown cattle may be encountered on the road. Between Queenstown and Jamestown a reseal project is in progress for 80 km with manual STOP/GO control and delays will be encountered along this section. Between Jamestown and Aliwal North a portion of the road is without surfaced shoulders and is thus narrow. Potholes may also be expected here in rainy conditions. A major construction project has recently commenced on a section for 20 km south of Aliwal North. The major work will commence from January 2002 with limited traffic interruption up to that date. Traffic control will be by traffic signals once the major work starts. The section of road through Aliwal North is also presently under construction and road users are requested to exercise the required caution.
This 72 km portion of road has been repaired recently and motorists are unlikely to encounter any problems, except for an occasional routine maintenance activity such as grass cutting or repair of guardrails.
This section of road will be transferred from the Free State Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport to the National Roads Agency in April 2002. It has numerous potholes, which continue to be repaired by the Free State provincial authorities.
This is a dual carriageway road from the interchange with the N1 to the Melkbos Strand intersection from where it is a single carriageway road with surfaced shoulders and climbing lanes up to Malmesbury. Potholes occur frequently on the dual carriageway section. The by-pass at Malmesbury is a dual carriageway road and from there it is a single carriageway road with surfaced shoulders and climbing lanes up to Piekenierskloof Pass. This road is generally in good condition, except for a section ± 20km north of Pieketberg to the Piekenierskloof Pass, where the road is very uneven and potholes may be expected.
The road winds through mountainous terrain and is very narrow with limited passing opportunities. Motorists are warned to be very careful on this section of road. The road is in a fair condition but potholes can occur between Trawal and Klawer.
The road is a narrow single carriageway with gravel shoulders and in good condition but passing opportunities are limited. Motorists must be on the look out for pedestrians and animals in the vicinity of O’Kiep and Steinkopf.
The upgrading and surfacing of the last 29 km of the N8 between Bloemfontein and Kimberley has been completed and opened to traffic in June 2001. This is now the shortest route between Bloemfontein and Kimberley. The road is generally in a good condition. Access to Kimberley via the N8 is from the Haldon Road Interchange on the N1 at Bloemfontein. At this interchange the N8 and the N1 share the same section of the Bloemfontein bypass up to the Nelson Mandela Drive Interchange (previously Zastron Street) from where the N8 leaves the N1 and heads eastwards through the city of Bloemfontein to Maseru.
This road is generally in good condition. It is to be transferred from the Free State Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport to the National Roads Agency in April 2002.
This route is a single carriageway road and generally in a good condition. The section between Middelburg and Hugoslaagte Station is very narrow with narrow bridges. Passing opportunities are limited. Potholes can occur between Hugoslaagte and Colesberg.
For 320 km the road condition is good to fair but is narrow without surfaced shoulders for 25 km either side of Cookhouse, as well as 40 km south of Middelburg. Isolated areas with edge breaks could be encountered on the narrow sections. Warning signs are displayed where game such as Kudu could be encountered.
North of Cookhouse for 25 km, the road is at present being upgraded with manual STOP/GO and traffic signals control, and delays can be expected. Blasting is executed on some Tuesdays and Thursdays when the road will be closed between 10:00 and 14:00. This project is expected to continue until December 2002.
From the intersection with the N9 between Middelburg and Noupoort to the intersection with the N12 at Britstown rehabilitation and reseal works take place at various locations.
Motorists should note that some sections of this road are showing signs of distress manifested by the appearance of rutting and potholes, which develop during rains. Beware of water sheets on this section and poor visibility because of spray raised by passing vehicles. Emergency repair teams may be encountered, at which work sites manual STOP/GO control measures will be used to regulate the traffic. Motorists should take note of the road signs in the Majuba Pass concerning sharp bends and steep descents. Motorists are encouraged to adhere to the recommended speed limit.
From Volksrust to the Vaal River the road is a very narrow single carriageway in poor condition. Be aware of potholes and maintenance repair teams. From the Vaal River to Middelburg the road is also very narrow and in a reasonable condition. The road markings are faded. There are no construction works underway but routine road maintenance teams will be present along the route.
From George the road is a single carriageway with climbing lanes over Outeniqua Pass to Oudtshoorn and is in a good condition. From Oudtshoorn to Beaufourt West the road through Meiringspoort is in good condition and now fully opened to motorists. Repair works to the flood damaged road and bridges and the building of rest areas are now completed and motorists can enjoy the beauty of the gorge. From Beaufort West it is routed along the N1 to Three Sisters. From Three Sisters to Victoria West it is a single carriageway road with surfaced shoulders and from Victoria West to the Orange River the road has 600mm surfaced shoulders. From the Orange River up to the Northern Cape border, at Warrenton, the road has surfaced shoulders.
The road on this section is a single carriageway, and is in good condition.
From the Diepkloof Interchange to the Elands Interchange, the road is a four-lane dual carriageway in good condition. From the Gilloolys Interchange to Witbank the road is in a fair to good condition. Be on the look out for potholes after heavy rains between Edenvale and the Daveyton Interchange.
From Springbok to Kakamas it is a single carriageway road with surfaced shoulders and in good condition. The road markings between Springbok and Pofadder is faded. Between Kakamas and Upington the road is narrow with gravelled shoulders, and also in good condition. From Upington to Kuruman the road is a single carriageway with partly surfaced and partly gravelled shoulders and is generally in a good condition.
From Wemmerpan to Tonk Meter Way, the road is a four lane dual carriageway in good condition. Be aware of pedestrians, especially in the morning and afternoon peaks. From Tonk Meyer Way up to Anchor Road the road is a single carriageway with climbing lanes in good condition. Routine road maintenance teams will be present along the route.
Rehabilitation of the road from Wits Rifles Road eastwards to Anchor Road commenced in September 2001. Lanes will only be closed in the off peak hours of the day and over weekends. At the site of the reconstruction and upgrading of the Cinderella Dam Spruit bridge, one carriageway will be closed and the other will have two-way traffic for a couple of months.
This road between the N1 and the N2 near Cape Town is a dual carriageway freeway, in a fair but uneven condition. Just north of the Swartklip Interchange with the N2, a pedestrian bridge is being constructed. The road reserve is being fenced. Motorists must be aware for pedestrians crossing the road at several places.