TRAFFIC ADVISORY
FULL CLOSURE OF N3 NORTHBOUND CARRIAGEWAY AT MARKET ROAD OVERPASS FOR BEAM INSTALLATION
Pietermaritzburg, 18 March 2026 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) advises motorists of the full road closure on the N3 Northbound carriageway at Market Road Overpass. The closure will be on Saturday, 11 April 2026 between the hours of 21:00 and 05:00 am to facilitate the installation of the soffit beams as part of construction of the New Market Road overpass bridge. This forms part of the N3 Upgrade Project between Gladys Manzi Road and New England Road Interchange. The full closure on the N3 Northbound will be implemented as follows:
Date: 11 April 2026
Time: 21:00 Saturday night to 05:00 Sunday morning
Carriage way: N3 Northbound
Date: 12 April 2026 (Alternative date in case of inclement weather on above)
Time: 21:00 Sunday night to 05:00 Monday morning
Carriage way: N3 Northbound
Alternative route:
Via Market Road offramp on temporary road to Market Road onramp and back onto N3, as shown in the accompanying diagram.
“Our traffic accommodation team, in collaboration with the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI), has meticulously planned the closures and will actively manage and monitor them for the entire duration. An additional alternative route for light vehicles is via the Ashburton Interchange northbound carriageway (NBC) off-ramp, which will be implemented based on traffic volumes and at the discretion of the RTI,” said Jason Lowe, SANRAL’s KwaZulu-Natal Specialist Geometrics Engineer.
“We understand that these road closures cause major disruption and have planned them to take place at times when the disruption is minimised. Trucks and heavy vehicles are advised to try and delay trips over this period or find suitable staging areas to avoid major congestion. Public transport operators are asked to ensure their drivers are aware of route closures and alternatives affecting their commuter routes. Light vehicle traffic, as well as emergency services and traffic management are advised to make use of alternative routing. SANRAL apologises for any inconvenience caused and appreciates the public’s patience during the ongoing major road enhancements.” said Lowe.