As holidaymakers hit the road this December and January, it is crucial to be aware of the national routes that carry the most traffic over peak seasons.

Caxton Local Media spoke to the general manager of marketing and communication at the South African National Roads Agency, Vusi Mona, to find out which roads are likely to be the busiest this festive season:

1. N2 North Coast – Durban to Tongaat
2. N2 South Coast – Durban to Winkelspruit
3. N4 East – Pretoria to Mbombela
4. N1 North – Pretoria to Polokwane
5. N3 South – Johannesburg to Durban
6. N1 South – Huguenot Tunnel to Cape Town
7. N4 West – Pretoria to Brits
8. N1 South – Johannesburg to Bloemfontein

Mona explains there are specific stats and information that relate to certain provinces.

Eastern region (KZN and Free State):

Travel speeds on Sanral’s road network in the region depend on several factors. During the festive season, higher traffic volumes can lead to demand exceeding available lane capacities and toll plaza limits at certain times, causing delays and queues.

Mona says construction on the N3 (between Pietermaritzburg and Durban) and the N2 (between the EB Cloete Interchange and uMdloti) introduces additional restrictions for the safety of road users and workers.

Also read: N3 to switch to contactless toll payments from December

Some restrictions may remain in place during the festive season, despite a general construction pause. Reduced speed limits will still apply in construction zones, with long-term traffic measures. Drivers are urged to proceed cautiously, observe these restrictions, and check the agency’s social media platforms for traffic updates before holiday travel. Checking weather alerts before setting off is also recommended, adds Mona.

He says regular breaks are essential and may not be accurately reflected in travel estimates from Google, Waze, and other navigation apps.

When calculating travel times, he advises motorists to take the following into account:

• Regular breaks of about 30 minutes for every 200km travelled are needed.
• Expect higher congestion levels, potentially 10% to 40% above normal, depending on travel date and demand.
• Adverse weather conditions may slow down your trip.

Traffic volumes in the eastern region

• The busiest routes in KZN by traffic volume include the N3, N2, and N11. These routes see significant holiday traffic, ranging from 30% to 100% above the average daily traffic at peak times.
• The N3 carries between 14 000 (near Tugela) and 90 000 (around the EB Cloete Interchange) vehicles daily.
• The N2 sees daily traffic of between 10 000 (near the southern KZN boundary) and 80 000 (around the EB Cloete Interchange) vehicles.
• The N11 has daily volumes of around 3 000 (near the Bergville Interchange), 9 000 (through Mnambithi/Ladysmith), and 10 000 (near Newcastle).
• A substantial proportion of the traffic on these key routes comprises trucks, making up 22% to 50% of total traffic depending on location. With the Durban and Richards Bay Ports operating year-round, truck traffic will remain high during the festive season. Road users are urged to be patient, share the roads responsibly, follow road rules, take regular breaks, and only overtake when it is safe and legal.

Western region (Western Cape and Northern Cape):

The N1 remains one of the busiest routes into the Western Cape during the festive season. You can view the traffic volumes recorded through the Huguenot Tunnel over the Reconciliation Day, Christmas, and New Year periods for 2022 and 2023 here.

The N2, particularly along the Garden Route, is another popular holiday route. Sanral has ongoing maintenance projects on large sections of the N2, but no work will take place during the festive period to minimise disruption.

The N7, linking Cape Town to the Northern Cape and Namibia, is a well-travelled route for both leisure and commercial freight. Mona encourages road users to ensure that both drivers and vehicles are fit for travel.

Southern region (Eastern Cape):

Traffic data from Sanral’s Integrated Transportation Information System for December 15 to January 15 reveals the following peak average daily traffic (ADT) results for major Sanral routes in the Eastern Cape:

• N2 – through Nelson Mandela Bay: Peak ADT = 52 999 vehicles
• R61 – West of Mthatha: Peak ADT = 22 113 vehicles
• N6 – East London – Kei road: Peak ADT = 19 157 vehicles
• N10 – South of Cradock: Peak ADT = 9 919 vehicles
• R63 – East of King William’s Town: Peak ADT = 9 311 vehicles
• N9 – Aberdeen to Graaff-Reinet: Peak ADT = 6 204 vehicles

This data highlights the highest-trafficked locations on the Southern region road network during the 2023/2024 festive season.

Northern region (Gauteng, Mpumalanga, North West, and Limpopo):

Mona says the northern region oversees approximately 9 424km of road network. Major routes include the N1 (connecting Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, and the Beit Bridge border with Zimbabwe), N2, N3 (between Johannesburg and Durban), N4 (from the Botswana border through Pretoria to the Maputo port in Mozambique), and several other key routes like the N12, N17, N18, R21, R23, R33, R37, R501, R510, R524, R555, R573 Moloto Road, and R578.

Traffic volumes are expected to be high, especially on major routes linking to neighbouring states such as Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and eSwatini, while other routes are likely to see moderate traffic.

Poll results

Caxton Local Media conducted a poll to find out when our readers plan to hit the road this festive season.

According to the results, the largest group (38.46%) plans to leave for their holiday destination in mid-December (after the 13th). This is followed by those planning to leave a day or two before Christmas Day (35.90%), and lastly, those planning to leave this weekend or next week (25.64%).

In the second question, the majority of readers (48.72%) plan to leave for their holiday destination a day or two after Christmas. This is followed by those planning to leave a day or two after New Year’s Day (43.59%) and those planning to leave in mid-January (7.69%).

Read more: Authorities to police 20 high-risk routes 24 hours a day during festive season