WATCH: Richards Bay traffic woes as ongoing power outage affects port-destined trucks
Rush-hour traffic was severely affected on Monday morning
![](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/56/2022/08/truckmon2_79201_tn.jpg)
MOTORISTS commuting between Richards Bay and Empangeni were severely delayed this morning (Monday) as the John Ross became a parking lot for trucks waiting to access the port.
Trucks were lined up in the left lane on the Empangeni-bound carriageway from the John Ross/North Central Arterial intersection, right up to the Alton intersection.
ALSO READ: More delays on Richards Bay road repairs
Traffic was moving, albeit very slowly.
The truck backlog was connected to a mass power outage affecting the whole of Meerensee, Mzingazi, Small Craft Harbour and the Port of Richards Bay.
The electricity went off at about 6.30pm last night after a fault occurred on the 132kv line from Polaris substation to Carina, which feeds the affected area.
Owing to the dark, and the adverse weather conditions on Sunday night, City of uMhlathuze technicians were unable to locate the fault, and resumed work on Monday morning.
As of 9am, the latest update is that power should be restored to Meerensee and Mzingazi by 1pm.
Technicians are isolating the Meerensee/Mzingazi line, but it is envisaged that electricity will only be restored to the port tomorrow.
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