The R501 is a
Regional Route in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
that connects
Carletonville
Carletonville is a town in Gauteng and the seat of the Merafong City Local Municipality in the West Rand District Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa, just north of the richest gold-mining area in the world. At 3,749 m, Western Deep Levels h ...
with
Viljoenskroon via
Potchefstroom.
Route
It begins at a junction with the
N12 National Route in
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 ...
province (south-west of
Westonaria), just west of the N12's intersection with the
R28. It goes west for 19 kilometres and the first town it comes to is
Carletonville
Carletonville is a town in Gauteng and the seat of the Merafong City Local Municipality in the West Rand District Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa, just north of the richest gold-mining area in the world. At 3,749 m, Western Deep Levels h ...
, where it intersects with the
R500 just south of the Carletonville city centre.
After bypassing the town centre, it continues westwards to meet the south-western terminus of the
R559. Just after, it crosses into the
North West province
North West is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Mahikeng. The province is located to the west of the major population centre of Gauteng and south of Botswana.
History
North West was incorporated after the end of Apartheid in 1994, an ...
, and gradually turns into a more southerly direction, bypassing the
Boskop Dam, to reach
Potchefstroom to the south-west.
In Potchefstroom, it enters as Thabo Mbeki Drive and reaches a junction with the
R53 (Albert Luthuli Drive). The R501 and R53 become one road eastwards on Albert Luthuli Avenue, then southwards on Govan Mbeki Avenue, before the R53 leaves Govan Mbeki Avenue and becomes its own road eastwards in the town centre. Just after, by Mooirivier Mall, the R501 meets the
N12 National Route for the 2nd time.
It leaves the city in a south-south-westerly direction, initially following the
Mooi River. It proceeds to cross the
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. ...
into the
Free State at the Scandinavia Drift and end at an intersection with the
R59 north of
Viljoenskroon.
References
Regional Routes in the Free State (province)
Regional Routes in Gauteng
Regional Routes in North West (South African province)
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