Efforts under way to ease N2 truck queues

Efforts continue to ease truck congestion on the N2 near Empangeni as Richards Bay’s Gate Zero processes up to 800 trucks daily.

3 hours ago

Gugu Myeni 1 minute read

Trucks queuing along the N2 near Empangeni

Amid the ongoing influx of trucks destined for the Port of Richards Bay, efforts are under way to minimise long queues along the N2 outside Empangeni.

The heavy vehicles have been flooding into Richards Bay for the past few weeks, causing major congestion on the national route.

ALSO READ: Empangeni truck staging permanent plans outlined

While the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) has been working with local authorities to ease congestion and control the inflow, the Gate Zero staging site at the Eco Junction continues to process between 600 and 800 trucks a day amid port capacity constraints.

While many motorists have expressed frustration with the chaos, with residents being forced to navigate heavy vehicles daily, MTV Property Group, which owns the staging facility, says it is exhausting all efforts to ensure the safety of road users.

“One hundred trucks cover approximately 3.5km and the port can only process a limited number of trucks at a time. With the current influx of approximately 750 to 800 trucks per day, the backlog can escalate fairly quickly,” said MTV Group’s Michael Cooper.

“We would, however, like to reiterate our core mandate to ensure the John Ross highway and local city roads are safe and secure for the city’s ratepayers.”

The group stepped in as a temporary measure in December 2024 to help address heavy cargo congestion, which had become a daily nightmare for commuters in the City of uMhlathuze.

This while awaiting the operation of the under-construction Eyamakhosi truck stop along the John Ross highway.

In a communique on Wednesday, Transnet Port Terminals advised customers to suspend all trucks to the Port of Richards Bay, effective immediately. The suspension is expected to be lifted from Friday.

The temporary suspension is to allow the terminal to clear the current backlog and restore safe and efficient flow of traffic as well as ease pressure on public roads.

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