The N3 is a national route in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...

that connects

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a Megacity#List of megacities, megacity, and is List of urban areas by p ...

and

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

, respectively South Africa's largest and third-largest cities. Johannesburg is the financial and commercial heartland of South Africa, while Durban is South Africa's key

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as H ...

and one of the busiest ports in the Southern Hemisphere and is also a holiday destination. Durban is the port through which Johannesburg

import An import is the receiving country in an export from the sending country. Importation and exportation are the defining financial transactions of international trade. In international trade, the importation and exportation of goods are limited ...

s and

export An export in international trade is a good produced in one country that is sold into another country or a service provided in one country for a national or resident of another country. The seller of such goods or the service provider is a ...

s most of its goods. As a result, the N3 is a very busy highway and has a high volume of traffic.

Route

The N3 is divided into 12 sections, starting with section 1 in

and ending with section 12 in

. Between the two cities, the route passes the following towns and cities:

Pietermaritzburg Pietermaritzburg (; Zulu: umGungundlovu) is the capital and second-largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838 and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its Zulu name umGungundlovu ...

, Estcourt, Ladysmith,

Harrismith Harrismith is a large town in the Free State province of South Africa. It was named for Sir Harry Smith, a 19th-century British governor and high commissioner of the Cape Colony. It is situated by the Wilge River, alongside the N3 highway, a ...

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; Palatine German: ') is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. As of the 2016 census, its population was 159,914, of which roughly a quarter consisted of students ...

and

Germiston Germiston, also known as kwaDukathole, is a small city in the East Rand region of Gauteng, South Africa, administratively forming part of the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality since the latter's establishment in 2000. It functions a ...

. It no longer passes through most of these towns, as bypasses have been built around all of them (the N3 does not pass through any city centres). The last bypass that was built was around the town of

Warden A warden is a custodian, defender, or guardian. Warden is often used in the sense of a watchman or guardian, as in a prison warden. It can also refer to a chief or head official, as in the Warden of the Mint. ''Warden'' is etymologically identic ...

KwaZulu-Natal

The N3 begins in the

Central Business District A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...

at Pine Street and Commercial Road as a dual-carriageway freeway and heads west, passing through

Berea Berea may refer to: Places Greece * Beroea, a place mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, now known as Veria or Veroia Lesotho * Berea District Romania * Berea, a village in Ciumești Commune, Satu Mare County * Berea, a tributary of the Val ...

and Mayville before intersecting with the N2 Highway (

Durban Outer Ring Road The Durban Outer Ring Road is a half ring road that circles the coastal city of Durban, South Africa. It consists fully of the N2 highway which links the North and South Coasts of KwaZulu-Natal, with the main link to the city being provided by the ...

) at the EB Cloete Interchange. It then heads through Westville before bypassing the south of Pinetown. The route is then tolled at Mariannhill as it leaves the urban area, and then heads towards Cato Ridge. From Cato Ridge, the route passes Camperdown before turning towards the northwest and heading towards

, the provincial capital. After bypassing Pietermaritzburg Central to the east and north, the N3 heads up a steep incline known as Town Hill before passing near Hilton and Howick; a road to the Southern Drakensberg (the R617) leaves the N3 at Howick. The route then becomes rather picturesque as it heads through the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, passing through Mooi River (where another toll is located) before heading to Estcourt. Just past Estcourt, access to the Central and Northern Drakensberg via the R74 is provided, before the N3 heads in the direction of Ladysmith. The N3 bypasses Ladysmith to the west, with the N11 providing access to Ladysmith Central. The N3 from Cedara (in-between Hilton and Howick) to

Gauteng Gauteng ( ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. The name in Sotho-Tswana languages means 'place of gold'. Situated on the Highveld, Gauteng is the smallest province by land area in South Africa. Although Gauteng accounts for only ...

is managed by a private concessionaire, the N3 Toll Concession. A few kilometres after the N11 interchange, the N3 is tolled once again; the dual-carriageway freeway also ending at this point. From here, the N3 ascends the South African plateau via Van Reenen's Pass; at the top of the pass, the N3 crosses into the Free State.

Free State

After crossing into the Free State, the N3 heads to

, where the N5 leaves it (providing a route to

Bloemfontein Bloemfontein, ( ; , "fountain of flowers") also known as Bloem, is one of South Africa's three capital cities and the capital of the Free State province. It serves as the country's judicial capital, along with legislative capital Cape To ...

and

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

via the N1). The N3 then heads to the north, and passes the town of

and heads towards Villiers, where a toll is located right before the R26 Villiers off-ramp (Wilge Toll Plaza). Immediately after Villers, the N3 crosses the Vaal River and enters

Mpumalanga Mpumalanga () is a province of South Africa. The name means "East", or literally "The Place Where the Sun Rises" in the Swazi, Xhosa, Ndebele and Zulu languages. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, bordering Eswatini and Mozambique. ...

. Here, it becomes a dual carriageway again and remains one for its remainder.

Mpumalanga

The N3 then heads through the south-western tip of

in the direction of

. Soon after crossing the Vaal River, the N3 meets the R54 road, which provides access to

Vereeniging Vereeniging () is a town located in the south of Gauteng province, South Africa, situated where the Klip River empties into the northern loop of the Vaal River. It is also one of the constituent parts of the Vaal Triangle region and was formerly s ...

in the west. After 23 km, the N3 bypasses Grootvlei. Just before reaching Heidelberg, the N3 has its last tollgate (De Hoek Toll Plaza); this also marks the point where the N3 crosses into

Gauteng

The N3 then continues north & bypasses

before heading towards

. The section maintained by the N3 Toll Concession ends at the R23 interchange south of the Heidelberg town centre. On approaching

, the N3 passes the townships of Katlehong and Vosloorus before bypassing Alberton. At the R554/ R103 (Old Barn Road; Heidelberg Road) off-ramp in Alberton, the N3 becomes an e-toll Highway (with open road tolling) and remains as one for its remainder. Next, the N3 meets the N17 Highway at the Rand Airport Interchange near Rand Airport (each ramp onto the N17 has a tollgate). Almost immediately afterwards, the N12 (the Southern Bypass portion of the Johannesburg Ring Road) merges with the N3 at the Elands Interchange, with the N3 then becoming the Eastern Bypass portion of the Johannesburg Ring Road. From here, it follows much of the borderline between the

City of Johannesburg The City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality is a metropolitan municipality that manages the local governance of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is divided into several branches and departments in order to expedite services for the city. ...

and the City of Ekurhuleni. The N3/N12 concurrency proceeds northwards from the Elands Interchange and bypasses the city of

(Capital of Ekurhuleni) to the west. It reaches the Geldenhuys Interchange, where it forms an interchange with the M2 Highway (Francois Oberholzer Freeway), which provides access to the Johannesburg CBD in the west and the Germiston CBD in the east. Next, the N3/N12 heads to Bedfordview, where the N12 leaves the N3 at the George Bizos Interchange (previously known as the Gillooly's Interchange; just east of the Eastgate Shopping Centre), joins the R24 Highway eastwards and provides access to the

East Rand The East Rand is the urban eastern part of the Witwatersrand that is functionally merged with the Johannesburg conurbation in South Africa. The region extends from Alberton in the west to Nigel in the east, and south down to Nigel. It includ ...

and

OR Tambo International Airport O. R. Tambo International Airport is an international airport situated in Kempton Park, Gauteng, South Africa. It serves as the primary airport for domestic and international travel to/from South Africa and since 2020, it is Africa's secon ...

. This interchange with the R24 is purported to be the busiest interchange in the Southern Hemisphere. From here, the N3 continues going northwards as the Johannesburg Eastern Bypass and bypasses Edenvale and

Alexandra Alexandra () is the feminine form of the given name Alexander (, ). Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; GEN , ; meaning 'man'). Thus it may be roughly translated as "defender of man" or "p ...

before terminating at the

Buccleuch Interchange Buccleuch may refer to: __NOTOC__ Places Australia * Buccleuch County, an administrative division in New South Wales, Australia * Buccleuch, South Australia, a small locality and railway station * County of Buccleuch, an administrative division i ...

just south of Midrand and north of Sandton, which is the point at which the N3, N1 and M1 converge.

Alternative route

Where the N3 has been realigned, the old alignment has been designated R103. The R103 exists in three sections: between

and Ladysmith, between

and Villiers, and between

and

. The only exception is within

itself, where most of the old N3 alignment is designated as the M13 instead of having the usual R103 designation; the R103 diverges from the M13 in

Gillitts Gillitts is a town in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. Overview It is about inland from the Durban city centre at an elevation of 1800 feet (600 m ASL). Although Durban is semi-tropical and very humid, Gillitts is above the humidity ...

just outside Durban. The R103 is typically used to avoid the toll plazas on the N3, with one notable exception being the Tugela East Toll Plaza located on the R103 itself where the R103 and N3 meet north of Ladysmith. Prior to the redesignation of the National Route numbers in 1971, the N3 moved east at Heidelberg and passed through the towns of Standerton, Volksrust and Newcastle via Laing's Nek Pass, before joining the present alignment at Ladysmith. This route now designated R23 between Heidelberg and Volksrust and N11 thereafter to Ladysmith remains an alternative to the N3.

Dual carriageway sections

Following the opening of the motorway section in December 2001 between

and Villiers, the N3 now has at least two lanes in each direction for its entire length between Johannesburg and Durban. The section between Johannesburg and Villiers is dual carriageway motorway. Between Villiers and Warden the road is single carriageway motorway with two lanes in each direction. From Warden to Keeversfontein (Tugela Toll Plaza; Ladysmith) the road is no longer motorway but retains two lanes in each direction. Thereafter, the route to Durban is dual carriageway motorway. This last section from Ladysmith to Durban is the second longest motorway by route number (after the N1 between the Vaal River and Modimolle), but the longest motorway following one alignment in South Africa.

Proposed realignment

SANRAL proposed plans to re-route one section of the N3 between Keeversfontein (Tugela Toll Plaza) near Ladysmith, and the start of the tolled section near

, probably meeting the present alignment just south of Warden. This would involve the diversion of the road over De Beer's Pass, as opposed to Van Reenen's Pass. Not only would it reduce the route distance by 14 kilometres, but would have a lower gradient. Proponents of the new road argue that the existing Van Reenen's Pass is too steep for heavy trucks and exceeds the maximum gradient of 1:7 for an officially declared national road. This has caused a huge outcry among residents of Harrismith and Van Reenen, who rely on passing traffic to sustain businesses such as restaurants, petrol stations, and holiday rest places. The N3 Toll Concession has stated that the De Beer's bypass will be required when daily traffic volumes reach 13,900 vehicles - the traffic volumes at Van Reenen as of 2008 is 11,000 vehicles, and based on projected increases in traffic volumes, the bypass would have needed to be operational by the end of 2014, with construction commencing in the second half of 2011. This proposed new routing of the N3 would also have a new toll plaza built on it near Warden. In March 2017, it was decided by

SANRAL The South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd or SANRAL is a South African parastatal responsible for the management, maintenance and development of South Africa's proclaimed National Road network which includes many (but not all) National ("N") ...

that the construction of the De Beer's Pass Route will not continue.

Tolls

Most of the road is only usable upon the payment of toll. There are toll plazas at Mariannhill ( Pinetown), Mooi River, Tugela ( Ladysmith), Wilge ( Villiers) and De Hoek (

). As mentioned above, most of the toll plazas can be avoided by using the R103. A sixth toll plaza would have been constructed south of Warden when the De Beer's bypass (mentioned above) would have been built. Open road tolling of the northernmost part of the N3, from Black Reef Road (Old Barn Interchange; R554) to Buccleuch Interchange ( N1 Interchange) in

, came into effect from December 2013 as the e-toll system. There are a number of electronic toll gantries located on this stretch, which each have their own prices charged to each type of vehicle (labelled on road signage as one approaches each gantry).

Moving light apparitions

A stretch of the N3 in the Free State is particularly known for moving light apparitions. A notable incident, reported as a UFO sighting, occurred on 8 May 2000 when a police inspector claimed to have observed an approaching UFO while travelling on the N3 freeway, 70 km north of

in the eastern Free State province. The orange, oval-shaped craft was fitted with two cupolas, one above and another below, and was wide enough to cover four lanes of the freeway. After a close approach the craft receded again.

Notable interchanges

References

{{South African National Roads National Roads in South Africa Toll roads in South Africa Transport in Durban Highways in South Africa Streets and roads of Johannesburg Roads in South Africa Paranormal places in South Africa