No 'stop-and-go' distractions on any national road during holiday period

Holiday travellers across the country are not having to wait at any construction sites on any of the national roads managed by the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) this festive season.

Vusi Mona‚ the agency's spokesperson‚ says road construction work was halted across the 21‚946 km of freeways to improve safety and promote trouble-free journeys for people travelling to holiday destinations.

The network stretches from the Beit Bridge Border Post in the north to the Cape Peninsula and from Alexander Bay in the West to the coastlines of Mozambique‚ KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

Mona said high traffic volumes are still expected on December 22‚ after the initial holiday travel on December 15.

Some of the areas where traffic is expected to be the highest include:

- On the N1 near Colesberg in the Karoo;

- Near the Huguenot Tunnel in the Western Cape;

- Between Grabouw and Caledon in the Southern Cape – N2;

- From East London to Mthatha in the Eastern Cape;

- Near Port Shepstone on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast;

- On the N4 near Machadodorp in Mpumalanga; and

- At the Capricorn Plaza near Beit Bridge on the N1 north.

The expected peak travel times over the December 2016 to January 2017 period based on historical data and traffic modelling spotlights these dates and routes:

N1 Bloemfontein to Cape Town

The N1 to Bloemfontein at the Huguenot tunnel is likely to experience high traffic volumes on 22 December‚ 25-26 December and 1 January.

There will be extremely high traffic volumes expected on 1 January 2017 on the N1 to Cape Town at the Huguenot tunnel; traffic is expected to reduce into January and become slightly busy on 7 January.

There will be free-flowing traffic throughout December on the N1 to Bloemfontein from Colesberg North with extremely high traffic volumes on 1 January. Traffic volumes decrease on 2 January to 4 January and are expected to decrease further from 5 January.

The N1 at Colesberg South will likely be free-flowing with periods of increased travel volumes‚ but no extreme volumes are expected on the N1 to Bloemfontein and the N1 to Cape Town.

N1 to Polokwane

Above average traffic volumes are expected on the N1 to Polokwane at the Capricorn Plaza on 22 December but free-flowing traffic is anticipated throughout the festive season.

High traffic volumes expected on N1 to Pretoria at the Capricorn Plaza on 1 and 7 January but no extreme volumes are expected.

Extremely high volumes are expected at the Capricorn Plaza to Beit Bridge on 22 December with free-flowing traffic from 24 December.

N2 Cape Town to Durban

Extreme traffic volumes expected on the N2 at Botrivier to Caledon on 21 and 22 December to 2 January. Traffic volumes are expected to reduce slightly on 3 January and reduce further on 7 January.

Extreme traffic volumes are expected on the N2 to Somerset West at Botrivier on 22‚ 25‚ 26 December as well as 28‚ 29 December through to 7 January.

Increased traffic volumes are expected on the N2 at Caledon to Grabouw on 26 December. Extreme traffic volumes are expected on 1 January but will reduce on 4 January through the rest of the month.

The N2 at Groot Brak‚ the N2 at Tsitsikama‚ the N2 at Van Staden Interchange‚ the N2 at Grahamstown West‚ and the N2 at East London Bypass are likely to be free-flowing.

Increased traffic volumes are expected on the N2 at Mthatha South to Mthatha on 22‚ 23 December and 26‚ 27‚ 28 December‚ but no extreme volumes are expected during this period. Traffic volumes are expected to reduce on 29 December and a free-flow is expected through January.

Increased traffic volumes are expected on 21 December on the N2 at Mthatha South to East London. Extreme traffic volumes are expected on 22 and 26 December with a slight reduction on 27 and 28 December.

The N2 Kokstad South to Kokstad route is expected to see increased traffic volumes on 22 December and 1‚ 2 January‚ although no extreme volumes are expected during this period.

High traffic volumes are expected on the N2 at Marburg to Port Shepstone on 22 December as well as 27 and 28 December‚ 29 to 4 January‚ 8 and 9 January.

Extreme traffic volumes are expected on 10 and 11 January on N2 at Marburg to Port Shepstone.

Traffic volumes on the N2 at Marburg to Harding are likely to increase on 22 and 23 December‚ 29 December to 4 January‚ but no extreme volumes are expected.

Traffic volumes are expected to be high on 8 and 9 January and extremely high on 10 and 11 January on the N2 at Marburg to Harding.

The N2 at Winklespruit to Port Shepstone will have high traffic volumes on 22 December and increased traffic volumes on 23 to 28 December till 4 January‚ "but no extreme volumes are expected during this time".

N3 Durban to Johannesburg

The N3 at Ashburton to Pietermaritzburg will have high traffic volumes on 22 December‚ 1 and 2 January.

Increased traffic volumes are expected on 22 December on the N3 at Ashburton to Durban‚ although no extreme traffic volumes are forecast. Free-flowing traffic is expected from 29 December through to January.

The N4 at Machadodorp to Nelspruit will have increased traffic volumes on 21 December and extreme traffic volumes on 22 December. Traffic volumes reduce on 29 December.

The N4 at Machadodorp to Machado Traffic Control Centre will have high traffic volumes on 22 and 26 December and 7 January. Extreme traffic volumes are expected on 1 January only.

The N4 at Swartruggens to Pretoria will likely have free flowing traffic in both directions all the way through December and January.

The N6 at Aliwal North to Bloemfontein will have free-flowing traffic throughout December and January with increased traffic on 1 January only.

The R23 at Greylingstad to Balfour will have free flowing traffic with an increase on 1 and 7 January only.

The R23 at Standerton to Standerton will have free-flowing traffic all the way through December and January with increased traffic volumes on 22 December only.

The R61 to Port Shepstone will likely be free-flowing except for 4 January.

The R61 at Port Edward to Port Edward will have increased traffic volumes until 22 December with extreme traffic volumes on 23 December. Traffic volumes reduce slightly on 29 December and reduce further on 5 January.

Sanral noted these are the expected peak travel times barring any unforeseen major traffic incidents or weather conditions.