N3 realignment - South Africa

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crazyknightsfan
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Re: N3 realignment - South Africa

Post by crazyknightsfan »

signol wrote:I'm currently out in SA again, here are a couple of pictures of the old N3 (current M13) around Pinetown heading inland. You can see why it was bypassed, with narrow curves on a steep hill, short sliproads and plenty of frontages.
What do the lane markings mean on the opposite carriageway in the first photo? They look like the markings we have for centrelines in Australia - i.e. no overtaking on the side with the unbroken line but overtaking permitted on the side with the broken line.
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Re: N3 realignment - South Africa

Post by signol »

crazyknightsfan wrote:
signol wrote:I'm currently out in SA again, here are a couple of pictures of the old N3 (current M13) around Pinetown heading inland. You can see why it was bypassed, with narrow curves on a steep hill, short sliproads and plenty of frontages.
What do the lane markings mean on the opposite carriageway in the first photo? They look like the markings we have for centrelines in Australia - i.e. no overtaking on the side with the unbroken line but overtaking permitted on the side with the broken line.
They mean the same thing- so traffic in the slow lane can pull out into the fast lane, but not the other way around. I think it's usually to prevent traffic cutting across to take an off ramp, though they are widely ignored!

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Re: N3 realignment - South Africa

Post by signol »

Another couple of pictures of the area.

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The N3 viaduct from earlier in the thread, with the older M13 in the foreground
The N3 viaduct from earlier in the thread, with the older M13 in the foreground
M13. Both pics taken from the Sasol petrol station on the original route, Cowies Hill
M13. Both pics taken from the Sasol petrol station on the original route, Cowies Hill
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Re: N3 realignment - South Africa

Post by crazyknightsfan »

signol wrote:They mean the same thing- so traffic in the slow lane can pull out into the fast lane, but not the other way around. I think it's usually to prevent traffic cutting across to take an off ramp, though they are widely ignored!
Thanks signol. I assume they are only used in certain areas for relatively short lengths? Otherwise you'd have the situation where you can legally overtake but can't legally move back into the left lane. Doesn't surprise me at all that they are ignored, just like most frivolous road markings here.
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Re: N3 realignment - South Africa

Post by signol »

They actually seem to be used at every single off-ramp!

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Re: N3 realignment - South Africa

Post by michaelsa »

Although the route via Standerton/Volksrust/Newcastle was for many years the preferred route between Johannesburg and Durban, the present route via Van Reenen's Pass is still far superior to Laignsnek Pass. The latter remains S2 in many parts and has minimal and very short stretches of passing (climbing) lanes.

However two, not insignificant, improvements to the N3 on its present alignment have not been mentioned:

1. It was only around the late 1980's, when the section between Harrismith and Warden was upgraded to S4 standard, that the final N3 bypass was completed. Until that stage traffic still had to drive through Warden.

2. For 5km south and 10km north of Harrismith the N3 was for many years S2, even though it was S4 thereafter on either side - Harrismith thus became a notorious bottleneck. JHB bound traffic was also forced to make a right turn approaching Harrismith, at the Holiday Inn (junction with N5), onto the bypass. This, only in the late 1990's was realigned, so that this junction is now grade separated, and N3 traffic is free flowing.

It might have been reasonable to expect the N3 freeway at Villiers to have continued to the interchange with the R103/R26. However this would have required the widening, or building of a second bridge across the Vaal River. It is likely this will only happen once a third lane is needed in each direction.

--------------------------------------------------

As an aside it is interesting to note parallel developments on the N1 between Bloemfontein and Johannesburg - the N1 toll road between Kroonstad and the R59 Parys was built at the same time as the N3 between Warden and Villiers, around 1986. Since both were funded by the government at the time, the N1 section was built to S4 only north of Koppies (about 40km), the rest was S2 with passing lanes. Moreover, only some of its bridges were constructed for two carriageways! However, substantial work has been done on the N1 north of Bloemfontein, with the N1 freeway now extended for a further 30km, and the road existing as S4 for a further 20km.
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Vierwielen
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Re: N3 realignment - South Africa

Post by Vierwielen »

It is interesting getting this update - I left South Africa many years ago, but have childhood memories of being driven from VOlksrust to Johannesburg when that road was being rebuilt (possibly being converted from an all-weather road to a tarred road). I also remember the novel road scheme on certain section of the Pietermaritzburg to Durban section of the N3 - dual carriageways!

At the time we lived in Colenso. Until the bypass was built, entry to the town was on a narrow bridge and we could see traffic jams from our house when two motorists refiued to give way to the otheron the middle of the bridge.

I shouldn't say too much more - I might give my age away!
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Re: N3 realignment - South Africa

Post by michaelsa »

The only two significant changes to the older route since 1980 were the bypasses around Greylingstad and Newcastle. The southern end of the bypass in not grade separated but a T-junction. One still has to drive through Standerton, Volksrust and Ladysmith!
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Re: N3 realignment - South Africa

Post by Vierwielen »

Once the new route was opened up, hardly anybody used the old route - it was a few kilometres longer and as you said, had no bypasses. Also the road through van Reenen's pass was much better than the one around Majuba.
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Re: N3 realignment - South Africa

Post by michaelsa »

Personally I would be against the final section of the N3. Economically, one can see the effects that bypasses have had! Suppliers would rarely lower their prices with the cost savings on fuel, but those service stations and facilities around Harrismith and Van Reenen would almost certainly close once the new toll road is built and more people will find themselves without an income. These utilities also find themselves in a prime area being halfway between Jhb and Durban, an ideal time for stopping, and with the attraction of costal petrol prices! In a country that cannot afford to shed any more jobs, I see huge opposition to the building of the new road. The KZN Provincial government which would assume responsibility for the old road, would never be able to keep it in the condition it is today! A trip along the old parts of the N3 (Villiers/Warden), Ladysmith/Keeversfontein reveals this almost immediately. Neither has had any work done since 1990! Is it not better to keep our existing roads in good condition?
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[b][/b] Re: N3 South Africa (History)

Post by michaelsa »

I have a historical question regarding the N3 Southbound in Johannesburg before the Geldenhuys interchange was built connecting the two sections of the N3 between Alberton and Germiston.

I came across a document which indicated that a proposed interchange of the N3 with Main Reef Road in Germiston was never built, althouth road reserves were purchased to build it. All the map books at the time show this interchange. Since I was too young to remember, I am now wondering how the N3 at this point used to end - did the freeway end at Van Buuren Road - or did it continue on and end at Main Reef Road.
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Re: [b][/b] Re: N3 South Africa (History)

Post by Vierwielen »

michaelsa wrote:I have a historical question regarding the N3 Southbound in Johannesburg before the Geldenhuys interchange was built connecting the two sections of the N3 between Alberton and Germiston.

I came across a document which indicated that a proposed interchange of the N3 with Main Reef Road in Germiston was never built, althouth road reserves were purchased to build it. All the map books at the time show this interchange. Since I was too young to remember, I am now wondering how the N3 at this point used to end - did the freeway end at Van Buuren Road - or did it continue on and end at Main Reef Road.

I left South Africa in 1978, so I have had to look at Google Earth to find things out.

As far as I can remember, starting at Heidleberg, the N3 followed the current R103, crossed the current N3 at Roodekop at right angles and continued through the middle of Alberton, followed the present M31 and entered Johnnesburg as End Street.
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Re: N3 realignment - South Africa

Post by booshank »

There has been no news about this for some time now, so it seems it's on the back burner again because of the mounting economic problems in South Africa.

I was surprised and disappointed to find that though the new road is planned to be D2M from Keeversfontein to match the existing freeway to the south with two carriageways separated by an 8.6 m vegetated central reservation (including twin bore tunnels capable of taking three lanes of traffic each in the future), from the Freestate border to Warden it will be S4M to match the existing Warden to Villiers road.

Elsewhere the South African National Roads Agency details why S4 is not preferred, so this is a bit of a mystery for a new road built across open countryside where space shouldn't be an issue (there is a minimum 80 m reserve):-

4-lane undivided roads:
Design rationale: 4-lane undivided carriageway is generally not
preferred. A 4-lane dual carriageway road is normally cheaper to
construct and operate. Designers must substantiate where a 4-lane
undivided carriageway is proposed for greenfields sections.
4- lane undivided cross section is normally used where:
o Space is limited
o For phased upgrading of existing single carriageway facilities. NOTE:
Upgrading of a built carriageway of a dual carriageway
facility shall not be considered in this category. Designers are
required to substantiate that such designs are the most cost
effective alternative.
• The cross-section is to be cambered around the centre line of the
carriageway.
• 2.0m wide paved median to make provision for cable barrier is
preferred. However, for AADT’s of less than 15 000 vehs/day a
painted median approximately 800mm wide can be considered.
• 2.5m wide total shoulder, of which 1.0m minimum should be
paved.
• Minimum 3.5m lane width.
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Re: N3 realignment - South Africa

Post by booshank »

Still no sign of this, but a more modest but still useful upgrade is taking place elsewhere. The 34 km of the N2 between Richards Bay and Mtunzini is at the moment being duplicated with a new carriageway being built alongside the present S2+1 road. The new carriageway will carry northbound traffic and the existing road will be refurbished and reconfigured as the southbound carriageway, presumably as D2M. Once finished, there'll be at least two lanes each way between Durban and Richards Bay, though part of that will be S4 :-/

SANRAL: N2 KZN north coast upgrading will increase traffic capacity
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