Traffic has been fully restored on the N3 Toll Route between Estcourt Shell Ultra City and the Bergville Toll Plaza after a major obstruction involving multiple trucks forced the closure of the route on Wednesday night.
The N3 Toll Concession (N3TC) confirmed that all vehicles which were blocking both the northbound and southbound carriageways have now been removed, and mobility is being reinstated in the area.
Heavy congestion remains, and road users are advised to expect continued delays until the traffic backlog has cleared. Motorists are urged to reduce speed and proceed with caution, particularly as emergency and recovery personnel continue to finalise operations along the roadside.
While official investigations continue, it is understood that the blockade was linked to protest action reportedly involving members of the All Truck Drivers Forum Allied South Africa (ATDF-ASA), who have raised objections to the implementation of the AARTO demerit system.
The group alleges that the regulations unfairly impact South African truck drivers while foreign drivers remain largely unaffected.
N3TC extended its appreciation to all motorists for their patience during the prolonged disruption and commended the Road Incident Management System (RIMS) teams who worked throughout the night to restore safe traffic flow.
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