With high volumes of traffic expected on the N4 Toll Route this holiday weekend, motorists have been asked to prepare for their journeys accordingly.

The N4 Toll Route will see thousands of holiday-makers and workers make the long trek from Gauteng to Mpumalanga and Mozambique this Easter weekend.

In anticipation of these high volumes, Trans African Concessions (TRAC) will once again boost its efforts to accommodate the increase in traffic and ensure the N4 highway, east of Tshwane, stays safe and congestion free.

Statistics indicate that the Easter weekend sees the biggest surge in volumes on the route, with traffic expected to be extremely high between 11:00 and 22:00 on Thursday, 29 March and on Monday, 2 April 2018.

Road Safety Awareness Campaign

The first stage of the TRAC N4 Easter Road Safety Awareness Campaign will be held at the Alzu Petroport on 29 March 2018, and will be implemented at other strategic locations along the 570km route.

At the Alzu Petroport, TRAC will interact with members of the public to generate road safety awareness, offer a well-deserved and proper rest stop, which will include free coffee and massages. They will also be informed of TRAC’s 24-hour Helpdesk and TRACAssist, both of which will be on full alert throughout the Easter holiday.

The second stage of the campaign will be held on 2 April 2018 and will see emergency services and TRACAssist stationed at strategic points along the route, from 10:00 to 22:00. These points include Bronkhorstspruit (Gauteng), Alzu (Highveld), Milly’s (Highveld/Lowveld), Kia Ora (Lowveld), Hectorspruit (Lowveld) and the Matola Weighbridge (Mozambique).

Each station will be the central dispatch centre for various sections of the N4 Toll Route, to reduce response times to roadside emergencies and incidents.

TRACAssist and the TRAC 24-hour Helpdesk will lead stage two of the campaign, with the latter being the communications’ hub. The TRAC Helpdesk will be the first to be alerted of incidents on the road and, therefore, plays a vital role in this project. Other participating emergency services include private and public ambulance services and paramedics, fire and rescue, provincial traffic, SAPS, pathology units and TRAC Accident Response.

Border post traffic assistance

TRAC will work hand-in-hand with the Lebombo Border Control Operational Coordinating Committee to assist with traffic management measures towards the border post.

This will be done through the distribution of traffic control flyers, and the provision of signage and other logistical requirements. The border will be open 24 hours a day from 28 March to 4 April 2018 to process the high volumes expected at the international crossing.

To avoid severe traffic congestion on the Mozambican portion of the N4, Stop/Go’s for the roadworks between Ressano Garcia and the Moamba Plaza will be removed from 30 March to 2 April 2018. However, the section between Shoprite in Matola and the Maputo Plaza, which is also under construction, is expected to be congested despite two lanes in each direction being kept open.

Elands Valley roadworks to continue

Unfortunately, TRAC will be unable to halt the roadworks in the Elands Valley section this Easter, as the project is at a vital stage. There will still be three Stop/Go’s in this section and road users are advised to use Schoemanskloof to enter and exit the Lowveld.

The safety and well-being of the N4 Toll Route’s road users is TRAC’s primary concern and all road users are urged to make full use of the road safety initiative. They can call the TRAC Helpdesk on 0800 87 22 64 in South Africa or +258 84 34 34 34 6 in Mozambique, for fast assistance and response to any problems.