The R102 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 ...
. It is the route designation for all old sections of the
N2, thus it is a discontinuous road that resumes in areas where a new
N2 has been constructed.
Route
Western Cape and Eastern Cape
In the
Cape Town area, the R102 starts in the Central Business District and runs through
Woodstock
Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock. Billed as "an Aquar ...
,
Maitland
Maitland is an English and Scottish surname. It arrived in Britain after the Norman conquest of 1066. There are two theories about its source. It is either a nickname reference to "bad temper/disposition" ( Old French, ''Maltalent''; Anglo Nor ...
,
Goodwood and
Parow before it reaches
Bellville. From Bellville, it turns in a southeasterly direction and goes on the outskirts of the city through
Kuils River
Kuils River (Afrikaans: Kuilsrivier) is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa, 25 km (15 miles) east of Cape Town CBD at the gateway of the Cape Winelands. It is also the name of the main tributary of the Eerste River, and forms part of the ...
,
Eerste River
The Eerste River, located in the Western Cape, South Africa, rises on Dwarsberg 60 km east of Cape Town at the head of Jonkershoek. The Eerste River catchment covers the eastern part of the Cape Flats lying to the west of the Hottentots H ...
and onwards to
Somerset West
Somerset West ( af, Somerset-Wes) is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa. Organisationally and administratively it is included in the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality as a suburb of the Helderberg region (formerly called Hotten ...
where it merges with the existing
N2.
At
Mossel Bay
Mossel Bay ( af, Mosselbaai) is a harbour town of about 99,000 people on the Southern Cape (or Garden Route) of South Africa. It is an important tourism and farming region of the Western Cape Province. Mossel Bay lies 400 kilometres east of th ...
it divides to the east again, passing through all the towns between there and
George
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...
. Near
Nature's Valley east of
Plettenberg Bay
Plettenberg Bay, nicknamed Plet or Plett, is the primary town of the Bitou Local Municipality in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. As of the census of 2001, there were 29,149 population. It was originally named Bahia Formosa ("beautif ...
it once again splits off, traversing the various
Tsitsikamma gorges such as the
Grootrivier Pass and the
Bloukrans Pass (which is currently closed; was closed in 2007 due to flood damage
) and then rejoining the
N2 east of the
Bloukrans Bridge
The Bloukrans Bridge is an arch bridge located near Nature's Valley, Western Cape, South Africa. Constructed by Concor between February 1980 and June 1983, the bridge stands at a height of 216m above the Bloukrans River. Its central span is ...
. Farther east, in the
Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha.
The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in 199 ...
, it passes through the towns of
Humansdorp
Humansdorp is a small town and surrounding district in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, with a population of around 29,000 during the census of 2011. It is part of the Kouga Local Municipality of the Sarah Baartman District.
The town is th ...
and
Jeffreys Bay
Jeffreys Bay ( af, Jeffreysbaai, nicknamed J-bay) is a town of 27,107 inhabitants as of the 2011 census in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It Is the seat of the Kouga municipality and is famous amongst surfers as a surf capital due ...
, becoming the
Van Stadens Pass
Van Stadens Pass is situated in the Eastern Cape, province of South Africa, on the R102 regional route, between Port Elizabeth and Humansdorp. It is a passage through the gorge of the Van Stadens River
Van Stadens River is a river in the Eas ...
and crossing the
Gamtoos River
Gamtoos River or Gamptoos River is a river in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. It is formed by the confluence of the Kouga River and the Groot River and is approximately long
with a catchment area of .
Course
The Gamtoos river system ...
and the
Van Stadens River
Van Stadens River is a river in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The river mouth is located about 30 km west of Port Elizabeth.
The river was named after Marthinus van Staden, one of the area’s pioneering farmers. He was also ...
on its way to
Gqeberha
Gqeberha (), formerly Port Elizabeth and colloquially often referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Sou ...
(previously Port Elizabeth), where it passes through the city centre before turning north and merging with the N2 at
Coega
The Coega Special Economic Zone (SEZ), established in 1999 and 11,500 ha in extent, is situated near Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The initiative is a multibillion-dollar industrial development complex ...
.
At
King William’s Town
Qonce, formerly known as King William's Town, is a city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa along the banks of the Buffalo River. The city is about northwest of the Indian Ocean port of East London. Qonce, with a population of around ...
(7 km south-east of the town centre; at
Zwelitsha
Zwelitsha is a town in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It forms part of the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality.
History
Zwelitsha was created in 1947 as corridor township to King William's Town to provide labour for the Good Hope ...
), the R102 splits again for a short section, starting at a junction with the
R346. It heads east-north-east through
Phakamisa to
Ilitha, where it turns eastwards just before a junction with the N2. It parallels the N2 east-south-east, through
Berlin, passing a
Walter Sisulu University
Walter Sisulu University (WSU) is a university of technology and science located in Mthatha, East London (Buffalo City), Butterworth and Komani (Queenstown) in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, which came into existence on 1 July 2005 as a result ...
campus, to form the northern border of the
Mdantsane
Mdantsane is a South African urban township situated 15 km away from East London and 37 km away from Qonce in the Eastern Cape. It is the second largest township in the Eastern Cape after Ibhayi near Port Elizabeth and seventeenth larg ...
Township in
East London
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fa ...
. It then passes through the suburbs to the north of the CBD before rejoining the N2 north-east of the town (near
Gonubie
Gonubie is a town in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.
Seaside town at the mouth of the Gqunube (Gonubie) River, 21 km north-east of East London. The name is said to be derived from Khoekhoen and to mean 'bramble river', after Royena ...
).
KwaZulu-Natal
The R102 separates from the
N2 in
Port Shepstone
Port Shepstone is a large town situated on the mouth of the Mzimkhulu River, the largest river on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast of South Africa. It is located halfway between Hibberdene and Margate and is positioned 120 km south of Durban. ...
and passes through the
South Coast South Coast is a name often given to coastal areas to the south of a geographical region or major metropolitan area.
Geographical
Australia
*South Coast (New South Wales), the coast of New South Wales, Australia, south of Sydney
* South Coast (Q ...
towns of
Anerley
Anerley () is an area of south east London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is located south south-east of Charing Cross, to the south of Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, west of Penge, north of Elmers End and South No ...
,
Melville,
Umzumbe and
Hibberdene
Hibberdene is a small coastal town on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast in South Africa. It was named after C. Maxwell-Hibberd, the former postmaster-general of Natal.
Hibberdene is located in the Hibiscus Coast region of the KZN South Coast and i ...
, before heading inland and passing through the Mnamfu area. It then turns back towards the coast and passes through
Pennington,
Park Rynie and
Scottburgh
Scottburgh () is a coastal resort town located on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It situated south of the mouth of the Mpambanyoni River ''(confuser of birds).''
History
Named after Natal Colony Governor John Scott, in 186 ...
before entering the
Ethekwini Metropolitan Municipality
eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality is a metropolitan municipality created in 2000, that includes the city of Durban, South Africa and surrounding towns. eThekwini is one of the 11 districts of KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The majo ...
(Durban Metropole) at
Umkomaas
Umkomaas, a small coastal village on the subtropical south coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa was formed when a harbour was built in 1861 to export sugar. The village rests beside the mouth of the navigable uMkhomazi River, also known as the ...
. The route then passes through
Kingsburgh and
Amanzimtoti
Amanzimtoti is a coastal town just south of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The town is well known for its warm climate and numerous beaches, and is a popular tourist destination, particularly with surfers. The annual sardine run attracts m ...
and then passes through the industrial suburbs of
Prospecton
Prospecton is an industrial suburb located south of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
History
Since 1931, the open flat undeveloped land of Prospecton which separates the two residential areas of Isipingo, Isipingo Rail inland and Isiping ...
,
Mobeni and
Congella before entering Durban's Central Business District from the south.
North of
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 ...
, the route passes through
Durban North
Durban North is an area to the north of Durban in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Durban North lies between the N2 freeway and the eastern seashore, with the Umgeni River forming its southern boundary. It ...
and bypasses
KwaMashu
KwaMashu is a township north of Durban, South Africa. The name is in honour of Sir Marshall Campbell and means ''Place of Marshall''. KwaMashu is bordered by Newlands East to the south, Newlands West to the west, Ntuzuma to the north, Phoenix t ...
and
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
, then passes through
Verulam and
oThongathi (bypassing
King Shaka International Airport
King Shaka International Airport , abbreviated KSIA, is the primary international airport serving Durban, South Africa. Located in La Mercy, KwaZulu-Natal, approximately north of the city centre of Durban. The airport opened its doors to passe ...
before oThongathi), before heading towards
Stanger
KwaDukuza is a municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. In 2006, the municipal name was changed to KwaDukuza (which incorporates small towns such as Stanger, Balito, Shaka's Kraal, but the Zulu people in the area called it "Dukuza" well before ...
(now KwaDukuza). After Stanger, the route heads through
Darnall
Darnall is a suburb of eastern Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Darnall is approximately east-north-east of Sheffield city centre.
History
Darnall was initially a small hamlet usually included with Attercliffe. William Walker, a resident ...
,
Mandini and
Gingindlovu, passes close to
Mtunzini, before heading to
Empangeni
Empangeni is a city in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is approximately 157 kilometres north of Durban, in hilly countryside, overlooking a flat coastal plain and the major harbour town of Richards Bay 16 kilometres away. The N2 freeway runs east ...
. About north of Empangeni, the route merges with the
N2.
New section
As of 2018, there are plans to realign the
N2 National Route from the city of
Mthatha
Mthatha , formerly Umtata, is the main city of the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality in Eastern Cape province of South Africa and the capital of OR Tambo District Municipality. The city has an airport, previously known as the K. D. Matan ...
to the town of
Port Shepstone
Port Shepstone is a large town situated on the mouth of the Mzimkhulu River, the largest river on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast of South Africa. It is located halfway between Hibberdene and Margate and is positioned 120 km south of Durban. ...
, on a new route known as the ''
Wild Coast Toll Route'' or ''Wild Coast Highway''. The N2 will take over the entire section of the current
R61 Route between the two cities, and turning that route into two lanes in each direction, providing a shorter and faster route through the
Wild Coast.
So, as the N2 will be realigned, the old N2 route passing through
KwaBhaca,
Kokstad
Kokstad is a town in the Harry Gwala District Municipality of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Kokstad is named after the Griqua chief Adam Kok III who settled here in 1863. Kokstad is the capital town of the East Griqualand region, as ...
and
Harding, just like most other ''old sections'' of the N2, may be designated as the R102 when the project is finished.
References
External links
Routes Travel Info
{{Western Cape highways
Regional Routes in the Western Cape
Regional Routes in the Eastern Cape
Regional Routes in KwaZulu-Natal
Transport in Durban
Roads in Cape Town