Around 2 500 vehicles expected per hour on the N3 toll route this Easter

N3 Toll Concession (N3TC) and its road safety partners have announced that they are prepared to accommodate increased traffic volumes on the N3 toll route this Easter weekend.

The authority said that high traffic volumes of 2 500 vehicles per hour are expected on the N3 toll route in a southbound direction (towards KwaZulu-Natal) on Thursday, 6 April (between 3pm – 6pm), and on Friday, 7 April (from 9am to 12pm).

On Monday, 10 April 2022, return traffic is also expected to peak at approximately 3 500 vehicles per hour northbound (towards Gauteng) between 12pm and 6pm.

According to a statement issued by N3TC, satellite stations will be located along the N3 toll route for the duration of the Easter weekend.

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“In anticipation of the influx of holidaymakers, satellite stations will be strategically located along the N3 toll route, as a base for law enforcement, road traffic management and emergency services.

“These temporary road safety and law enforcement satellite stations allow for a swift response to any emergencies that may arise along the route,” explained Thania Dhoogra, operations manager of N3 Toll Concession (N3TC).

“Road users should be prepared for various traffic checkpoints, increased blue light visibility, strict speed and traffic law enforcement, and zero tolerance of traffic offenders,” she added.

She said that all road incident management systems are in place to provide multidisciplinary support to road users.

“However, it is vitally important that road users remember that the responsibility to create safer roads is a shared responsibility,” she warned.

Human error

The N3TC statement confirmed that in 2022, 77% of all vehicle crashes on the N3 toll route were caused by human error, compared to 73% in 2021.  

It also revealed that trucks constitute approximately 44% of all vehicles travelling on the N3 toll route daily, with an 8%-10% annual growth in truck usage on the roads recorded over the past decade.

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This is mainly due to the shift of freight transport, especially bulk products, from rail to road.

Road users were warned not to expect a significant decline in truck traffic during holiday periods and to make provision for slower-moving trucks which may add to the general traffic congestion at the height of peak times.