‘Trucks ruining roads’ in Pietermaritzburg

With the roadworks ongoing on the N3 near Pietermaritzburg, residents have cried foul over heavy trucks using Old Howick Road when accidents force the closure of the freeway.

On Sunday, both the south and northbound lanes on Town Hill were closed for hours after a truck transporting vegetable oil overturned.

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Road users travelling towards Hilton were stuck on the N3 on both lanes from just after 7.30 am, when the crash occurred, until after 2 pm while authorities were clearing the scene.

Spokesperson for the Road Traffic Inspectorate, Zinhle Mngomezulu, said the truck’s brakes failed on its way down the N3 from Hilton, and it overturned just after the Peter Brown bridge.

Part of the truck also caught fire. Mngomezulu said the oil was spilled across both lanes.

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“Part of the truck also went over the northbound lane … Traffic was diverted to Howick Road and trucks were parked at the truck stop in Hilton,” said Mngomezulu.