The N2N3 in KwaZulu-Natal has become an important part of SANRAL’s plan to refurbish and strengthen the routes that connect South Africa’s leading industrial hubs. For companies and residents in the area, this is now bearing fruit in terms of local economic growth and job creation.
Our flagship projects are the N2/N3 corridor upgrades, which are expected to take between eight to ten years to complete and create up to 15,000 job opportunities over the duration of construction. The upgrade of the N2 will focus on a 55km length of road, from Lovu River on the South Coast to Umdloti on the North Coast. The N3 upgrade will focus on an 80km section from Durban to Pietermaritzburg. These upgrades will include widening the N2 and N3 carriageways, with four or five lanes in each direction, and reconfiguration of most major interchanges.
The N2/N3 Freeway Upgrade brings with it great improvements for the KZN region and the country, in terms of improved mobility, job creation, economic growth and more. The major road upgrades between Cato Ridge and Ashburton interchange will ease traffic congestion and increase safety on that stretch of the N3 national road in KwaZulu-Natal.
The N2 and N3 in KwaZulu-Natal form part of the national government’s key strategic integrated projects (SIP2): Durban-Free State-Gauteng Logistics and Industrial Corridor. Which aims to strengthen the logistics and transport corridor between South Africa’s main industrial hubs, improve access to Durban’s export and import facilities and raise efficiency along the corridor.
Such investment in road infrastructure upgrades, especially in rural and underdeveloped communities, provides an opportunity for generating economic growth, alleviating poverty, reducing inequality and increasing international competitiveness.
The awarded projects include the 19.4-kilometre stretch from Cato Ridge to the Dardanelles (commonly known as Umlaas Road) Interchange; 26.6 kilometres from the Dardanelles Interchange to Lynnfield Park and Lynnfield Park to Ashburton Interchange, which will be just over 32 kilometres.
