The R26 is a
provincial route
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
in
Free State,
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 countri ...
that connects
Zastron
Zastron is a small agricultural town in the Free State province of South Africa, some 30 km from the border of Lesotho. It is situated at the foot of Aasvoëlberg (Vulture Mountain), named for the rare Cape vultures attracted by a feeding p ...
with
Villiers via
Bethlehem
Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...
.
Route
The R26 begins in the town of
Rouxville
Rouxville is a small wool and cattle farming town in the Free State province of South Africa and is situated on the N6 national route. The town is at the centre of the wool producing area of the Transgariep.
Rouxville is situated near a number o ...
, at a t-junction with the
N6 National Route. It begins by going north-east for 30 kilometres to meet the north-western terminus of the
R726 Road and bypass the town of
Zastron
Zastron is a small agricultural town in the Free State province of South Africa, some 30 km from the border of Lesotho. It is situated at the foot of Aasvoëlberg (Vulture Mountain), named for the rare Cape vultures attracted by a feeding p ...
. From Zastron, the R26 goes northwards for 65 kilometres, following the borderline with
Lesotho
Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked country, landlocked as an Enclave and exclave, enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the Thabana Ntlenyana, highest mountains in Sou ...
, through
Van Stadensrus
Van Stadensrus is a settlement in Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality in the Free State (province), Free State province of South Africa.
The settlement is some 30 km south of Wepener and 35 km north-north-west of Zastron. It was laid out ...
, to the town of
Wepener
Wepener is a town in the Free State, South Africa, located near the border of Lesotho.
History
The town is named after Louw Wepener, the leader of the Boers in their war with the Basotho chief Moshoeshoe I in 1865. It was founded in 1867 on t ...
near the
Van Rooyen's Gate
Van Rooyen's Gate is a Border Post located between South Africa and Lesotho.
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, -
! !! South Africa !! Lesotho
, -
, Region , , Free State (province), Free State , , Mafeteng
, -
, City, , Wepener , , Mafeteng
...
border with Lesotho, where it meets the
R702 Road. The R702 & R26 become
one road
''One Road'' is the debut album by first-season New Zealand Idol winner Ben Lummis, released in New Zealand on 16 June 2004.
Chart and single information
Chart
''One Road'' debuted on the official New Zealand albums chart at number 1 and held ...
for a few kilometres westwards. Just after crossing the
Caledon River
The Caledon River ( st, Mohokare) is a major river located in central South Africa. Its total length is , rising in the Drakensberg Mountains on the Lesotho border, flowing southwestward and then westward before joining the Orange River near Beth ...
, at the northern terminus of the
R701 Road (a four-way junction), the R702 remains on the road westwards while the R26 turns northwards.
The R26 continues north-east, still following the Lesotho borderline, for 28 kilometres to the town of
Hobhouse Hobhouse is a rare English surname, generally belonging to members of a family originally from Somerset. Those currently with this surname are members of several branches of this patronymic that achieved prominence from the 18th century. Originally ...
, where it meets the southern terminus of the
R709 Road. From Hobhouse, the R26 goes north-east for 40 kilometres to reach a junction with the
N8 National Route. They form one road eastwards for 12 kilometres before the N8 becomes its own road southwards towards
Maseru
Maseru is the capital and largest city of Lesotho. It is also the capital of the Maseru District. Located on the Caledon River, Maseru lies directly on the Lesotho–South Africa border. Maseru had a population of 330,760 in the 2016 census. The ...
while the R26 turns northwards and bypasses the town of
Ladybrand
Ladybrand is a small agricultural town in the Free State (South African province), Free State province of South Africa, situated 18 km from Maseru, the capital of Lesotho. Ladybrand is one of five towns that forms the Mantsopa Local Municipa ...
to the east.
From Ladybrand, the R26 continues northwards for 35 kilometres to the town of
Clocolan
Clocolan, established in 1906, is a small town in the Free State (South African province), Free State Province of South Africa. The Basotho called the place Hlohlolwane (Hlohla-o-lwane, "get up and fight"). New inhabitants mispronounced the name a ...
, where it meets the south-eastern terminus of the
R708 Road. From Clocolan, the R26 goes eastwards for 30 kilometres to the town of
Ficksburg
Ficksburg is a town situated at the foot of the 1,750 meter high Imperani Mountain in Free State province, South Africa. The town was founded by General Johan Fick in 1867 who won the territory in the Basotho Wars. He laid out many erven and p ...
, which is another border point into Lesotho. Just after Ficksburg, the R26 meets the south-eastern terminus of the
R70 Road. From the R70 junction, the R26 goes north-east for 40 kilometres, following the Lesotho borderline again, to the town of
Fouriesburg
Fouriesburg is a small town situated at the junction of the R711 and R26 routes in the eastern Free State, South Africa. It is near the Maluti Mountains and only 10 km from Caledon's Poort border post, which gives access to Lesotho.
Hist ...
, where it meets the western terminus of the
R711 Road.
From Fouriesburg, the R26 goes northwards for 48 kilometres to the city of
Bethlehem
Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...
. At the intersection with the
N5 National Route in Bethlehem, where it meets the southern terminus of the
R76 Road
The R76 is a provincial route in Free State, South Africa that connects Orkney with Bethlehem via Kroonstad.
Route
The R76 begins at a junction with the R30 road 5 kilometres south of the R30 bridge on the Vaal River, which provides access to t ...
, the R26 joins the N5 eastwards for a few kilometres up to the Hospital Road junction, where the N5 becomes the road southwards and the R26 becomes the road northwards. It turns to the north-east and meets the western end of the
R714 Road just after.
From the R714 junction in Bethlehem, the R26 goes northwards for 48 kilometres to bypass the town of
Reitz and intersect with the
R57 Road. From the R57 junction, the R26 proceeds northwards for 58 kilometres, bypassing
Tweeling
__NOTOC__
Tweeling (meaning twin in Dutch and Afrikaans) is a small town situated 22 km from Frankfort in the Free State province of South Africa. The adjacent black township is named Mafahlaneng, or "place of twins". This region of the hi ...
, to reach an intersection with the
R34 Road. The R26 & R34 become one road eastwards, crossing the
Wilge River
The Wilge River ( af, Wilgerivier, meaning "willow river") is a tributary of the Vaal River in central South Africa. This river is important as part of the Tugela-Vaal Water Transfer Scheme where water is transferred from the Tugela River basin t ...
into the town of
Frankfort.
East of Frankfort, the R26 becomes its own road, going north-north-east for 28 kilometres, meeting the eastern terminus of the
R716 Road, to the town of
Villiers, where it ends at an off-ramp junction with the
N3 National Route and the
R103 Route just north of the N3's Wilge Toll Plaza and just south of the N3's
Vaal River
The Vaal River ( ; Khoemana: ) is the largest tributary of the Orange River in South Africa. The river has its source near Breyten in Mpumalanga province, east of Johannesburg and about north of Ermelo and only about from the Indian Ocean. ...
Bridge.
References
External links
Routes Travel Info
{{DEFAULTSORT:R26 Road (South Africa)
26
Provincial routes in South Africa