The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral), as part of the upgrade of the N3 from Cato Ridge to Dardanelles Cutting to an eight-lane carriageway, will implement rolling closures on the N3 national roads in both directions between the Umlaas road interchange and Cato Ridge interchange to minimise the delay of the traffic on the N3 national road during blasting.

The blasting will be carried out on Tuesday, July 12, at 11:00, and on Thursday, July 14, at 11:00 should a second blast be required. All closures shall immediately be removed, as soon as the site of blasting has been declared safe, Sanral said on July 6.

Rock outcrops encountered near the Camperdown Overpass bridge need to be removed through blasting to allow for the construction of the stormwater system and pavement layers.

Temporary road closures in the vicinity of the Overpass Bridge will be erected on the R103 and on the on-ramps at Cato Ridge interchange and Camperdown interchange will be temporarily closed during the blast. The road closures would not delay public traffic for more than ten minutes.

Further, the speed limit along the route has been reduced to 80 km/h to improve safety for the construction team and road users. Lane closures, to permit construction vehicles from safely entering and exiting the work zone, can be expected at night and the public will be informed in advance of such activity.

"Delays are expected as a result of the reduced speed limit. Motorists are advised to plan their trips carefully and be vigilant along the road during their travels," Sanral said.

The work, which started in April 2021, on the N3 from the Cato Ridge interchange to the northern end of the Dardanelles Cutting will result in the widening of the existing 6.4 km four-lane dual carriageway to an eight-lane dual carriageway with outer shoulders and a median in between.

The 48-month construction project will also result in the road-over-rail bridge being extended to accommodate the widening of the road. The upgrade will also include lighting along the 6.4 km and the installation of culverts.

Further, the R103 provincial road, which runs next to the N3, will also be upgraded. A new section of the R103 will be constructed alongside the N3 on the southern side between the Camperdown Interchange and the existing R103 overpass just south of the Camperdown Interchange, Sanral said.

The project is in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in the district municipality of uMgungundlovu and local municipalities of eThekwini and Mkhambathini. Sanral has appointed Nyeleti Consulting as the consulting engineer for supervision of the works and Raubex Construction as the main contractor.