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

For audio-visual of the road network, including interviews with all four SANRAL regional managers, click on the links below:

N1 South https://we.tl/v2zEcViKlA N1 North https://we.tl/mIfSw2gJHY N4 to Mozambique https://we.tl/RiwP00Pni9 N3 between Johannesburg and Durban https://we.tl/nGqjXK0UJQ N7 between Cape Town and Namibia https://we.tl/yOeJqfv78r N2 from Cape Town to Durban https://we.tl/ulquYsWwbs

Pretoria, 4 December 2016 - Holiday travellers across the country will not have to wait at a single construction site on any of the national roads managed by SANRAL this festive season.

Vusi Mona, spokesperson of the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL), says road construction work has been halted across the 21 946km of freeways to improve safety and promote trouble-free journeys for people who will travel 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.

The quality of long-distance travel has been further improved with the introduction of the automated payment system at most plazas on the country's toll roads. A single electronic tag fitted to the windscreen of the vehicle is recognised at the toll booth and the boom is lifted automatically when the vehicle approaches.

"Automated payment can cut up to two hours on a journey from Polokwane to Durban, says Mona. It cuts down on the time spent in long queues at toll plazas, reduces driver fatigue and contributes to road safety."

Mona says an analysis of road volume statistics in previous years shows high volumes of traffic should be expected on the national and provincial freeway system during specific days in December. All three public holidays - Day of Reconciliation, Christmas and New Year - are celebrated on, or close to, weekends and this will result in higher volumes in the preceding days as people travel to destinations in time for celebrations.

The national road network is, however, in excellent shape and able to handle increases in traffic and even extremely high volumes at certain times. The quality of the roads and collaboration between SANRAL, law enforcement agencies, provincial traffic authorities and emergency services will, no doubt, contribute to safer journeys.

The highest traffic volumes are expected on Thursday 15 December and again, a week later, on 22 December. Some of the areas where traffic is expected to be the highest include (further details below):

* 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;

Mona calls on travellers to plan their journeys ahead of time and to keep safety in mind at all times. The public can consult the SANRAL Web site at http://www.nra.co.za/live/content.php?Session_ID=feb3d7c29ee4971ad7a79b7f158d49e2&Item_ID=4903 to get updated information about road conditions and for information on regional road incident management.

Road incidents can be reported to the National Traffic Control Centre on 012 665 6075 or South African Police Service on 10111.

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

N1 Bloemfontein to Cape Town * The N1 to Bloemfontein at the Huguenot tunnel is likely to experience high traffic volumes on 1, 8, 14, 15 and 22 December, 25, 26 December and 1 January. * There will be extremely high traffic volumes expected on 10 and 17 December and 1 January 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. * There will be free-flowing traffic in the beginning of December, with extremely high volumes on 15 December on the N1 to Colesberg at Colesberg North; traffic volumes decrease and are free-flowing from 15 December through to January.

N1 to Polokwane * There will be a slight increase in traffic volumes on the N1 to Polokwane at the Capricorn Plaza on 1, 15 December, but no extreme volumes are expected; above average traffic volumes are expected on 22 Decemberwith free-flowing traffic 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 1, 9, and 14 December as well as 15, 16, 21, and the 22 December to 2 January; traffic volumes 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 3, 10, 17 December, 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 17 and 26 December. Extreme traffic volumes are expected on 1 January and 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 from 4 December through to 14 December, on 22, 23 December and 26, 27, 28 December, no extreme volumes are expected during this period. Traffic volumes reduce on 29 December and a free-flow is expected through January.* Increased traffic volumes are expected from beginning of December and increase on 8, 14 December through to 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.* Free-flowing traffic at N2 Kokstad South to Kokstad with increased traffic volumes on 22 December and 1, 2 January, no extreme volumes are expected during this period.* Free-flowing traffic at N2 Kokstad South to Mthatha with increased traffic volumes on 14 and 22 December and 1 January. No extreme traffic volumes are expected during this period.* High traffic volumes are expected on the N2 at Marburg to Port Shepstone on 1, 4, 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.* Extreme traffic volumes are expected on the N2 at Marburg to Harding on 1 and 4 December to 8 December. Traffic volumes reduce on 9 and 10 December and increase on 11 to 14 December.* Traffic volumes on the N2 at Marburg to Harding are likely to reduce from 15 to 21 December and increase on 22 and 23 December, 29 December to 4 January, no extreme volumes are expected during this time.* 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 increased traffic volumes from 1 December through to 21 December; high traffic volumes are expected on 22 December, 1 and 2 January. * Increased traffic volumes are expected on 1, 8 and 14, 15, 22 December on the N3 at Ashburton to Durban, no extreme traffic volumes are expected during this time. Free-flowing traffic is expected from 29 December through to January. * The N3 at De Hoek Plaza to Durban will likely see increased traffic volumes on 15 December only. * The N4 at Machadodorp to Nelspruit will have increased traffic volumes on 1, 8, 14, 15, 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 17, 22 and 26 December and 7 January. Extreme traffic volumes are expected on 1 January only. * The N4 at Marikana Plaza to Brits will have increased traffic volumes on 1, 8, and 13, 14 December. * Increased traffic volumes are expected on 1, 4 and 8, 14 December on the N4 at Marikana Plaza to Rustenburg, but no extreme volumes are expected during this time. * The N4 at Swartruggens to Pretoria will likely have free flowing traffic in both directions all the way through December and January. * The N5 at Winburg will have free-flowing traffic to Senekal 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 N10 at Ncanaha interchange to Port Elizabeth and Colesberg will have free-flowing traffic in both ways all the way through December and January. * The N12 at Kimberley South will have free-flowing traffic throughout the festive season. * 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 17 to 4 January, no extreme traffic volumes are expected during this period. * The R61 at Beaufort West, R61 at Kwagga, R61 at Tarkastad, will have free-flowing traffic throughout the festive season. * The R61 at Port Edward to Port Edward will have increased traffic volumes from 15 to 22 December with extreme traffic volumes on 23 December. Traffic volumes reduce slightly on 29 December and reduce further on 5 January.

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