IF you are out driving on the N3 at night during the next few weeks, be sure to drive with extra care as you could encounter things that go bump in the night.

Sections of the middle lane on both the northbound and southbound highway are being resurfaced at night. Gunyaziwe Makaula, executive regional manager of the eastern region at the SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral), said: “Work has already started, but only on a small scale because of the current adverse weather conditions. Middle lane sections have to be milled and replaced at night to limit the disruption to traffic. Work starts at 7 pm and goes on till 5 in the morning. Both the slow and middle lanes will be closed during these hours.

“Weather permitting, the work will take a period of 20 days. However, the inclement conditions are causing delays to the night work programme.

“In sections where there are three traffic lanes, repairs can be done in either the slow lane or the fast lane during the day, as two lanes can still be open to traffic. The current work is a short-term holding measure to provide motorists with a safe and acceptable level of service, in terms of a national route, for the next three to five years.”

Makaula said a major rehabilitation of the N3 from Cato Ridge to Hilton is planned as a long-term strategy. “We have already appoin­ted consulting design engineers to undertake a detailed assessment and design of the highway. This includes the addition of a third lane on the two-lane sections and, given the nature of the pavement in its current state, we recognise that major rehabilitation is required in certain sections. In other words, this will also address capacity problems that are currently being experienced on the N3 highway between Durban and Pietermaritzburg”.

Asked whether the long-term strategy envisages the highway having an asphalt or concrete road surface, which seems to withstand heavy truck use better, Makaula said: “Whether the entire road width will be rehabi­litated using concrete or blacktop will depend on the recommendations and design strategies adopted by the design engineers conducting the detail designs.”

Where:

N3 southbound

•Slow and middle lanes Town Hill 4,4km

•Slow lane Town Hill 6,4km

•Middle lane Town Hill 0,1km

•Middle and fast lanes Market Rd 0,4km

N3 Northbound

•Slow and middle lanes Town Hill 0,4km

•Slow lane Town Hill 1,3km

•Middle lane Town Hill 4,4km

Total length: 17,4km

When: Middle lane 7 pm to 5 am, slow and fast lanes during the day

How long: 20 days, weather permitting

Cost: Approximately R25 million from Sanral maintenance budget

Contractor: Roadmac Surfacing sub-contracted by Superway Construction.