Road construction suspended for the festive season.
Road users will not experience any delays as a result of road construction on the N4 freeway from Pretoria to Mozambique as it has been suspended for the duration of the festive season.
The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) said that the road is in good condition, but motorists should take care, especially when they are driving during the typical highveld thunder storms.
SANRAL calls on road users to follow important safety tips when they take to the country’s main roads during the holiday period.
“The main message is to remember that a road is a shared space and that you should be respectful towards your fellow road users.”
Peak traffic on the country’s national roads may occur earlier than usual because of the days on which December and January public holidays fall.
In addition, all public schools close on December 12, a Wednesday, and open on a Tuesday, a week after January 1.
Traffic will begin to pick up in the week of school closures and traffic volumes will become heavy from Friday, 14 December – the beginning of a long weekend as Monday is a public holiday with December 16 falling on a Sunday. It is also when the building industry closes.
As Christmas falls on a Tuesday, it can be expected that traffic will start peaking on the Friday before (December 21).
The end of the holiday period is also somewhat different: New Year’s Day is on a Tuesday, as is the day public schools re-open on January 8. This may mean peak traffic on the Mondays before.
According to Vusi Mona, SANRAL Communications manager, speed limits are clearly indicated on the 22 214 km of roads managed by SANRAL in all nine provinces. These are maximum limits and drivers should adjust their speed according to conditions such as rain or visibility.
Mona said: “Speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol are some of the major causes of road crashes – road users heed the call to #KnowYourWhoa #DontDrink&Drive.
“Road user behaviour contributes a lot to road crashes, and we appeal to motorists to respect the rules of the road and to also ensure their vehicles are roadworthy.”
Travel help tools
Motorists can use a variety of SANRAL tools to help plan their travel better. They can visit the SANRAL website – www.nra.co.za – for help in planning their journeys.
SANRAL has made available a series of videos to help motorists plan on their journeys – what route to use, what to expect on the road, the estimated expenditure for tolls and rest spots on the route.
Motorists can also download the SANRAL App for the convenience of topping up their e-tag accounts from the comfort of their cars.
“The app can be downloaded for free on all Android and iOS devices and also offers users information about road conditions, traffic congestion and incidents on the road enabling motorists to plan their journeys in advance,” explained Mona.
Incidents should be reported to either the South African Police Services (10111) or the National Traffic Call Centre (NTCC) on 012 665 6075, alternatively to the TRAC Rescue team at 0800 872264 (0800 TRAC N4).