Travelers on the N3 Toll Route experienced an extensive traffic disruption on Saturday evening as a result of a serious multiple vehicle crash which caused the N3 to be closed to traffic for a number of hours near Warden in the Free State.

The seriousness of this crash and heavy rain at the time of the crash, complicated recovery operations at the scene. An extensive traffic back-up developed which resulted in many road users not being able to reach their intended destinations prior to the curfew coming into effect at 21h00.

As even more holidaymakers will be returning to Gauteng today, the N3 Toll Route is expected to be carrying high traffic volumes (of more than 2000 vehicles per hour) in a northbound direction throughout the day.

N3 Toll Concession (N3TC), the company managing the N3 between Cedara in KwaZulu-Natal and Heidelberg in Gauteng, has also been informed that rain can be expected over large parts of the route, potentially causing further disruptions and delays.

“The combination of high volumes, congestion, adverse weather, traffic disruptions and a national curfew can have a debilitating impact on road safety. Road users are requested to carefully plan their trips to allow for extra travel time and not to rush to their destinations at the last minute to try and beat the curfew,” appeals N3TC’s operations manager, Thania Dhoogra.

Stay up-to-date with traffic and weather conditions on the N3 Toll Route or report any problems or emergencies to N3TC’s 24-hour Helpline on 0800 63 43 57.