N3 to close for three days at Ashburton, near Pietermaritzburg, next month
N3 to close for three days at Ashburton, near Pietermaritzburg, next month
The N3 highway will be completely closed to traffic in both directions at Ashburton over the weekend of May 9-11.
The 9.2km stretch of national highway between the Lynnfield (Lion Park) and Market Road interchanges will be closed from May 9 at 8pm until May 11 at 5am.
Closures are being done to allow for the demolition of the Ashburton (Pope Ellis Drive) bridge. Pope Ellis Drive will remain open during the demolition process with a stop-and-go system in place.
An alternative route for the highway closure is available via the R103, which runs parallel to the N3 and also connects the Lynnfield and Market Road interchanges.
'Significant delays are likely to be experienced as the R103 cannot handle the same traffic volumes as the N3,' said SANRAL KZN provincial specialist geometrics engineer, Jason Lowe.
'Motorists, especially heavy goods vehicles, are urged to reschedule their trips to avoid travelling during the closure.'
'If travel is unavoidable, please allow enough extra time to account for the delays. SANRAL wishes to apologise to the motoring public for any inconvenience caused.'
The closure may need to be adjusted depending on weather conditions and SANRAL will keep the public advised of any changes via their social media platforms.
Full road closure schedule
May 9 2025, 8pm-Midnight – Close N3 and proceed to demolish the Ashburton bridge.
May 10 2025, Midnight-Midnight (full 24 hours) – Complete N3 road closure for continued demolition of the bridge.
May 11 2025, Midnight-5am – Complete demolition, clean and reopen the N3 to all traffic.
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