A stretch of the N3 highway between Durban and Johannesburg will be upgraded, starting in the middle of 2015, in a contract valued at around R400-million, says South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) Eastern Region design and construction manager Ravi Ronny.

Work includes the construction of additional lanes on the N3 between the Cedara and Tweedie Interchanges, north of Pietermaritzburg.

The work area is roughly 11 km in length, says Ronny.

This section of the N3 is managed by N3 Toll Concession (N3TC), on behalf of Sanral.

“Their contract includes the financing, planning, design, construction and maintenance of the N3 between Cedara and Heidelberg,” notes Ronny.

The N3 is South Africa’s principal freight and logistics corridor, he adds.

“Upgrading the N3 is essential if one of government’s strategic integrated projects – creating an improved link between the Port of Durban and Gauteng, South Africa’s economic heartland – is to succeed.

“This portion of the N3 is in need of a capacity upgrade due to the increased volume of passenger and heavy vehicle traffic.”

“N3TC is implementing this lane expansion program well in advance of the actual requirement, in order to minimise the impact on a heavier traffic volume in later years,” says N3TC technical manager Douglas Judd.

N3TC will be funding the upgrade.

Construction is likely to start mid-2015 for a period of at least two years.

SANRAL and N3TC are aware of the impact construction will have on traffic management during the construction period, and have developed a comprehensive programme to minimise disruption and maximise road safety around construction areas, emphasises Ronny.

Key elements of this plan include a notification and information management system, as well as keeping the existing number of lanes open during peak traffic periods.

DURBAN TO CEDARA EXPANSION REQUIRED
Looking into the future expansion of the N3, the major capacity constraints on the N3 can be found on the section between Durban and Cedara, says Ronny, with designs underway for additional lanes and interchange upgrades on this 80 km section of the N3.

“There is, unfortunately, funding constraints for the required work between Durban and Cedara,” says Ronny.