Traffic between Camperdown and Dardanelles on the N3 will soon switch to contraflow, a few days earlier than expected, the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (Sanral) announced this week.
“Contraflow is a temporary arrangement where traffic on a road is transferred from its usual side to share the other half of the carriageway with traffic moving in the opposite direction,” said Mohamed Parak, Sanral’s eastern region project manager.
The switch will take place on the evening of Wednesday, March 9.
The move to contraflow in the area forms part of the construction work on the upgrade of the N3 from the Cato Ridge Interchange to the northern end of the Dardanelles Cutting that began last April.
The project is taking place in the district municipality of uMgungundlovu and local municipalities of eThekwini and Mkhambathini.
“The progress on the construction of the side-drain exceeded expectations and switchover to contraflow will be possible a few days earlier than previously expected,” Parak said.
The 48-month construction project will see the upgrade of 6.4 kilometres of the existing four-lane dual carriageway to an eight-lane dual carriageway by widening into the median and outer shoulders of the road.
A road over rail bridge will be extended to accommodate the widening of the road, together with numerous pipe culverts. The upgrade will include lighting along the 6.4km.
The R103 provincial road, which runs next to the N3, will also be upgraded between the outer limits of the contract. A new section of R103 will be constructed alongside the N3 on the southern side between Camperdown Interchange and the existing R103 Overpass just south of Camperdown Interchange.
“The temporary widening of the existing N3 has been proceeding well and all traffic can now be diverted on to the temporarily widened road between Camperdown Interchange and Dardanelles. Traffic on the northbound (Pietermaritzburg-bound) will be diverted to the temporarily widened southbound (Durban-bound) carriageway at Camperdown Interchange and diverted back to the northbound carriageway at Dardanelles (26.6km),” he said.
“The switchover will be done at night. Contraflow conditions will exist on the southbound carriageway between Camperdown Interchange and Dardanelles with concrete barriers in place between the two opposite traffic streams. Two lanes will be available in both directions,” Parak said.
Once the traffic has been diverted off the northbound carriageway, the existing northbound carriageway will be available for total reconstruction of the new four-lane carriageway. It is expected that contraflow conditions will be in place until January 2024.
The speed limit along the route has been reduced to 80kph to improve safety of the construction team and road users. Temporary lane closures to permit construction on the traffic-bearing carriageways can be expected in the evening and the public will be informed in advance of such activity.
“We appeal to road users to note and comply with the advance warning signs and speed restrictions when travelling past the construction work zones. Motorists are encouraged to plan their trips accordingly, and to make provision for the additional travel time,” Parak added.
