Roads in South Africa

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An M1 highway Origins Centre and M1 highway.jpg
An M1 highway

South Africa has a highly developed road network, considered one of the finest in Africa. [1] [2] According to official records, the total road network spans approximately 535,000 kilometers, comprising 168,000 kilometers of urban roads and 366,872 kilometers of other roads. The network includes a significant number of high-capacity roads, with 2,160 kilometers of motorway and 940 kilometers of four-lane roads. [3] Additionally, there are 62,794 kilometers of single-carriageway paved roads and 300,978 kilometers of gravel roads. However, the Transport Department reports a more extensive network of 750,000 kilometers, with 158,124 kilometers of paved roads. This discrepancy may be due to differences in classification or data sources. [4] [5]

Contents

Background

Road management

The South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) is the national road authority responsible for managing South Africa's national road network. [6] Established in 1998, SANRAL oversees a total of 21,403 kilometers of road, with 84% being toll-free and 16% being toll roads. The toll roads are financed through bond issuances, while the toll-free roads are funded by the South African government. SANRAL aims to expand the national road network to 35,000 kilometers, with ongoing efforts to upgrade and develop the country's road infrastructure.

Technical classification

National roads

The N1 freeway heading westbound into Cape Town. N1roadwestboundintocapetown.jpg
The N1 freeway heading westbound into Cape Town.

South Africa has an extensive network of 22,197 kilometers of national roads, providing connectivity to all regions of the country. Given the relatively low traffic volume on long-distance routes, motorways are primarily confined to metropolitan areas. The national roads are generally single-lane, with some sections featuring 2+1 lanes or wider configurations such as 2x2 lanes. Overall, the national roads are in fair to good condition, ensuring connectivity between all major cities in South Africa.

Provincial roads

In South Africa, provincial roads serve as secondary roads, supplementing the national road network. These roads are designated with the prefix "R", ranging from R21 to R82. While provincial governments manage some of these roads, others are maintained by SANRAL, the national road agency. In urban areas, municipalities often oversee sections of provincial roads. The condition and quality of provincial roads vary, encompassing a range of surfaces from gravel to freeway standards, reflecting the diverse needs and priorities of different regions. [7] [8]

Regional routes

In South Africa, regional routes constitute the third level of roads, following national and provincial roads. These routes are identified by a 3-digit R-number. Generally, provincial authorities manage most regional routes, although SANRAL, the national road agency, oversees some of them. This distribution of management responsibilities reflects the shared roles and responsibilities between national and provincial authorities in maintaining South Africa's road network.

Motorways

South Africa does not have a comprehensive national motorway network, primarily due to low traffic volumes outside urban areas. The country's 2,160 kilometers of motorway are mainly concentrated in three major metropolitan regions: Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban. Johannesburg boasts an extensive motorway network, earning it the nickname "Los Angeles of Africa," with some routes featuring up to six lanes in each direction and large interchanges. This network extends throughout Gauteng province and beyond, forming the largest regional highway network in Africa. In contrast, Cape Town's urban highway network is more limited, while Durban has a smaller regional motorway network. Elsewhere, short stretches of motorway exist, such as in East London and Port Elizabeth. Some bypasses, like those in Bloemfontein, Kroonstad, and Polokwane, have been developed as freeways. Motorways in South Africa can fall under various road number classes, including national roads, provincial roads, regional routes, and metro roads. Notably, many motorways around Johannesburg are toll roads, operating under a free-flow toll system.

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">N1 Western Bypass (Johannesburg)</span> Road in South Africa

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">N12 Southern Bypass (Johannesburg)</span> Road in South Africa

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">National routes (South Africa)</span> National Roads in South Africa

National routes in South Africa are a class of trunk roads and freeways which connect major cities. They form the highest category in the South African route numbering scheme, and are designated with route numbers beginning with "N", from N1 to N18. Most segments of the national route network are officially proclaimed National Roads that are maintained by the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL), but some segments are maintained by provincial or local road authorities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">N1 (South Africa)</span> National road in South Africa

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">R24 (South Africa)</span> Road in South Africa

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Regional routes are the third category of road in the South African route numbering scheme. They are designated with the letter "R" followed by a three-digit number. They serve as feeders connecting smaller towns to the national and provincial routes. Designation as a regional road does not necessarily imply any particular size of road; they range from gravel roads to multi-lane freeways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R300 (South Africa)</span> Road in South Africa

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">N2 (South Africa)</span> National road in South Africa

The N2 is a national route in South Africa that runs from Cape Town through George, Gqeberha, East London, Mthatha, Port Shepstone and Durban to Ermelo. It is the main highway along the Indian Ocean coast of the country. Its current length of 2,255 kilometres (1,401 mi) makes it the longest numbered route in South Africa.

Airlink, is a regional airline based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Its main business is to provide services between smaller, under-served towns and larger hub airports. It has since expanded to offer flights on larger, mainline routes. The airline has a network of more than 60 routes to over 45 destinations in Southern Africa. In January 2021, it became the second-largest carrier within Africa by number of flights, and third-largest by number of seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">N12 (South Africa)</span> National road in South Africa

The N12 is a national route in South Africa which runs from George through Beaufort West, Kimberley, Klerksdorp and Johannesburg to eMalahleni.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">N4 (South Africa)</span> National road in South Africa

The N4 is a national route in South Africa that runs from Skilpadshek on the Botswana border, past Rustenburg, Pretoria, eMalahleni and Mbombela, to Komatipoort on the Mozambique border. The entire route is a toll road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">N17 (South Africa)</span> National road in South Africa

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De Beer's Pass is located in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. It is situated on an unmarked road between Ladysmith and Harrismith in the neighbouring Free State province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SANRAL</span>

The South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd or SANRAL is a South African parastatal responsible for the management, maintenance and development of South Africa's proclaimed National Road network which includes many National ("N") and some Provincial and Regional ("R") route segments.

e-toll (South Africa) Electronic toll collection by SANRAL, South Africa, since 2013

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Numbered routes in South Africa</span> Numbered Routes in South Africa

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Provincial routes (South Africa)</span> Highway type in South Africa

Provincial routes are the second category of road in the South African route-numbering scheme. They are designated with the letter "R" followed by a number from 21 to 82, formerly with the letter "P" followed by a number from 66. They serve as feeders to the national routes and as trunk roads in areas where there is no national route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Coast (KwaZulu-Natal)</span> Coastal region in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

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There are a number of ring roads found in South Africa.

References

  1. https://businesstech.co.za/news/trending/739563/r6-4-billion-injection-for-south-africas-crumbling-roads/
  2. "Africa's Richest City Needs $12 Billion to Fix Infrastructure". Bloomberg.com. 2024-08-06. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  3. https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/un-global-campaign-for-road-safety-launched-in-south-africa-2024-05-15
  4. https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/several-roads-closed-city-centre-opening-parliament
  5. https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/eastern-cape-road-projects-planned-2024-06-21
  6. FutshaneS (2024-07-26). "SANRAL cautions road users to be mindful of scammers spreading misinformation about support services available on toll roads across South Africa". SANRAL Stop Over. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  7. Jeffrey, Lauren (2024-04-16). "The Worst Roads in SA". ActionSA. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  8. Johannes (2024-04-26). "Worst Roads Tour Reveals Staggering Neglect of Provincial Road Network". ActionSA. Retrieved 2024-08-08.

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