Traffic came to a complete standstill on the N3 Toll Route near Van Reenen Pass on Friday evening after a serious crash involving multiple vehicles reportedly occurred at around 18h00.
According to information released by N3 Toll Concession, the incident happened just south of Van Reenen town at approximately 18h00, leading to a total road closure on the busy freight corridor between KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
It is alleged that a side tipper truck and a bakkie were involved in the accident. The truck overturned during the collision, spilling a full load of maize across the roadway and completely blocking traffic lanes.
Emergency services, law enforcement officers, and recovery teams rushed to the scene and were still busy with recovery and clean-up operations on Friday night.
Motorists and truck drivers travelling through the area were warned to expect major delays and heavy congestion while authorities worked to reopen the route.
The N3 through Van Reenen Pass is one of South Africa’s busiest trucking routes, carrying thousands of heavy vehicles daily between the Durban Harbour and inland provinces. Incidents involving overturned trucks on the pass often result in lengthy closures due to difficult recovery conditions and steep terrain.
Road users travelling towards Van Reenen were urged to approach the area with extreme caution, reduce speed, and follow instructions from traffic officials on scene.
No official confirmation regarding injuries or fatalities had been released at the time of publishing.
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