The Elandsvalley section of the N4 Toll Route will be closed for an undetermined period following significant infrastructure damage between Elandshoek and Ngodwana (N4/7X km11.6).

According to engineers on site the infamous Cyclone Eloise, which severely affected Mpumalanga’s Lowveld region this weekend, caused damage to the N4 that required the Elandskloof section of the road to be closed to traffic on Sunday night. Further investigations found that approximately 160mm of rain fell in the Ngodwana area between Saturday, January 23 and Monday, January 25 which resulted in a flash flood that uprooted stumps and trees causing damage to the road’s infrastructure.

TRAC CEO, Alex van Niekerk, who was on site today to assess the matter, noted that the damage caused to the road is not due to poor workmanship or negligence but rather due to an act of nature. “After the heavy rainfall on Sunday, a stream crossing underneath the N4 through a culvert flooded over the road. This resulted in road fill material underneath the road surface to be washed away, which caused the road surface to subside. We are relieved that the culvert itself was not damaged as this would have resulted in a longer repair period.”

Road users travelling between the Lowveld and the Highveld and Gauteng regions must use the N4 Toll Route’s alternative route – Schoemanskloof – while TRAC carries out major repair work in the affected area.

We apologise for the inconvenience and commit ourselves to repair the damages as soon as possible with repair operations already underway. We want to thank members of the public for their understanding, patience and support during this time.

For information about other parts of the route, road users are urged to contact the TRAC 24-hour Helpdesk on 0800 87 22 64 or visit our website www.tracn4.co.za or follow us on Twitter @TRACN4route or Facebook @TRACN4.