Clean-up operations underway on N3, motorists urged to stay clear

The authorities in KwaZulu-Natal are still trying to clear trucks that drivers abandoned on the N3 when the route was closed due to inclement weather conditions.

The KwaZulu-Natal Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Department has advised motorists to use alternative routes as clean-up operations get underway on the N3.

Severe snowfalls in KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State caused major traffic disruptions at the weekend, leaving motorists stranded between the Tugela Plaza and Harrismith.

The department’s MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi says, “On the N3 up to the Mooi River Plaza, all cars have been evacuated but there is still a problem of the trucks on the road that still need to be cleared. Therefore we urge people to stay away from the N3 because while the road is still open, but the cleaning-up process needs to happen. The driving conditions are still very dangerous.

 

07h27 23/09 #N3Weather: Cloudy conditions along the #N3TollRoute from Cedara to Heidelberg. Please drive safely. (12)

— N3 Toll Concession (@N3Route) September 23, 2024

Reports say the death toll has risen to two following inclement weather conditions. But provincial authorities have confirmed that one person died of hypothermia.

Inclement Weather | South Africans urged to delay trips following heavy snowfalls