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No. 2 of 13 in the 2011 KZN Bakers Dozen Challenge
RUSH HOUR – THE N3
A Bit Of Trivia: Did you know that if you spend an hour in traffic
per day, you would spend approximately 3 years of your life stuck
in traffic!
This cache is NOT ON THE
FREEWAY.
The N3 is a highway in South Africa that forms a part of the
National Road System, connecting Johannesburg and Durban,
respectively South Africa's largest and third-largest cities.
Johannesburg is the financial and commercial heartland of South
Africa, while Durban is South Africa's key port and one of the
busiest ports in the Southern Hemisphere and is also a holiday
destination. Durban is the port through which Johannesburg imports
and exports most of its goods. As a result, the N3 is a very busy
highway and has a high volume of traffic.
Route
The N3 is divided into 12 sections, starting with section 1 in
Durban and ending with section 12 in Johannesburg. Between the two
cities, the route passes the following towns and cities:
Pietermaritzburg, Estcourt, Ladysmith, Harrismith, Heidelberg and
Germiston. It no longer passes through any of these towns, as
bypasses have been built around all of them.
KwaZulu-Natal
The N3 begins in the Durban Central Business District at Pine
Street and Commercial Road as a dual-carriageway freeway and heads
west, passing through Berea and Mayville before intersecting with
the N2 at the EB Cloete Interchange. It then heads through
Westville before bypassing the south of Pinetown. The route is then
tolled at Mariannhill as it leaves the urban area, and then heads
towards Cato Ridge. From Cato Ridge, the route passes Camperdown
before turning towards the northwest and heading towards
Pietermaritzburg, the provincial capital.
After bypassing Pietermaritzburg on the east and north, the N3
heads up a steep incline known as Town Hill before passing near
Hilton and Howick; a road to the Southern Drakensberg (the R619)
leaves the N3 at Howick. The route then becomes rather pictureque
as it heads through the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, passing through
Mooi River (where another toll is located) before heading to
Estcourt. Just past Estcourt, access to the Central and Northern
Drakensberg via the R74 is provided, before the N3 heads in the
direction of Ladysmith. The N3 passes Ladysmith to the west, with
the N11 providing access to Ladysmith itself.
A few kilometers after the N11 interchange, the N3 is tolled once
again; the dual-carriageway freeway also ending at this point. From
here, the N3 ascends the South African plateau via Van Reenen's
Pass; at the top of the pass, the N3 crosses into the Free
State.
Free State
After crossing into the Free State, the N3 heads to Harrismith,
where the N5 leaves it (providing a route to Bloemfontein and Cape
Town via the N1). The N3 then heads to the north, and passes the
town of Warden. At Warden, the N3 becomes a single-carriageway
freeway and heads towards Villiers, where a toll is located.
Immediately after Villers, the N3 crosses the Vaal River and enters
Mpumalanga; the N3 also becomes a dual-carriageway freeway at this
point.
Mpumalanga and Gauteng
The N3 then heads through the south-western tip of Mpumalanga in
the direction of Heidelberg. Just before reaching Heidelberg, the
N3 is tolled; this also marks the point where the N3 crosses into
Gauteng. The N3 then bypasses Heidelberg before heading towards
Johannesburg.
On approaching Johannesburg, the N3 passes the townships of
Katlehong and Vosloorus before reaching Alberton; here, it
intersects with the N17. Almost immediately afterwards, the N12
(the Southern Bypass portion of the Johannesburg Ring Road) merges
with the N3, with the N3 then becoming the Eastern Bypass portion
of the Johannesburg Ring Road. The N3 then heads through Germiston
(where the M2 provides access to the Johannesburg Central Business
District) before heading to Bedfordview, where the N12 leaves the
N3 at the Gilooly's Interchange and provides access to the East
Rand. From here, the N3 passes Edenvale and Alexandra before
terminating at the Buccleuch Interchange just south of Midrand and
north of Sandton, which is the point at which the N3, N1 and M1
converge.
Alternative route
Where the N3 has been realigned, the old route has been designated
R103. The R103 exists in three sections: between Durban and
Ladysmith, between Warden and Villiers, and between Heidelberg and
Johannesburg.
The R103 is typically used to avoid the toll plazas on the N3, with
one notable exception being the Tugela East Toll Plaza located on
the R103 itself where the R103 and N3 meet north of
Ladysmith.
Most of the old N3 alignment within Durban is designated as the M13
instead of having the usual R103 designation; the R103 diverges
from the M13 in the suburb of Winston Park.
Dual carriageway sections
Following the opening of the motorway section in December 2001
between Heidelberg and Villiers, the road is now dual carriageway
for its whole length between the two cities. The section between
Johannesburg and Villiers is dual carriageway motorway. Between
Villiers and the outskirts of Ladysmith, the road is undivided dual
carriageway. Thereafter, the route to Durban is dual carriageway
motorway. This last section is the second longest motorway by route
number, but the longest on one stretch of road in South
Africa.
Future realignment
There are plans to re-route one section between the Tugela Toll
Plaza near Ladysmith, and the start of the tolled section near
Warden. This would involve the diversion of the road to a new
motorway over De Beer's Pass, as opposed to Van Reenen, which would
cut 14 kilometres off the route. This has caused a huge outcry
among residents of Harrismith and Van Reenen, who rely on passing
traffic to sustain businesses such as restaurants, petrol stations,
and holiday rest places. Proponents of the new road argue that the
existing Van Reenen Pass is too steep for heavy trucks and exceeds
the maximum gradient of 1:7 for an officially declared national
road.
The N3 Toll Concession has stated that the De Beer's bypass will be
required when daily traffic volumes reach 13,900 vehicles - the
current traffic volume at Van Reenen is 11,000 vehicles, and based
on projected increases in traffic volumes, the bypass will need to
be operational by the end of 2014, with construction commencing in
the second half of 2011.
Tolls
Most of the road is only usable upon the payment of toll. There are
toll plazas at Marianhill, Mooiriver, Tugela, Villiers and
Heidelberg. As mentioned above, most of the toll plazas can be
avoided by using the R103.
A sixth toll plaza is likely to be constructed south of Warden when
the De Beer's bypass (mentioned above) is built.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)