N3 Closed 9–11 May for Ashburton Bridge Demolition – Here is the Full Schedule

Pietermaritzburg – A full shutdown of the N3 freeway near Ashburton has been confirmed by SANRAL to allow for the demolition of the Pope Ellis Drive bridge.

The road will be completely closed from 20h00 on Friday, 9 May 2025, until 05h00 on Sunday, 11 May 2025.

The demolition is part of ongoing upgrades to the busy N3 corridor between Durban and Pietermaritzburg.

Both the northbound and southbound carriageways will be blocked off between Lynnfield (Lion Park) Interchange and Market Road Interchange, meaning no traffic will be allowed through for nearly 33 hours.

Full closure schedule:

• 9 May (20h00–00h00): N3 closes and initial demolition begins
• 10 May (00h00–00h00): Full 24-hour closure as demolition continues
• 11 May (00h00–05h00): Clean-up and reopening of the N3

While Pope Ellis Drive will stay open under stop/go control, the main freeway will be completely shut. SANRAL’s Jason Lowe confirmed that traffic will be diverted to the R103, but delays are unavoidable.

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Diversions:

• Northbound traffic (Durban to PMB): Exit at Lynnfield, take R103 to rejoin N3 at Market Road
• Southbound traffic (PMB to Durban): Exit at Market Road, use R103 to rejoin N3 at Lynnfield

Motorists, especially truck drivers, are urged to reschedule long-haul trips or plan for long delays, as the R103 isn’t built for N3-level volumes.

“This is a critical part of the N3 upgrade, and we understand it will cause major disruptions,” said Lowe.

“We ask all road users to be patient, follow signage, and drive cautiously.”

Weather conditions could affect the schedule, and SANRAL promises to issue updates if anything changes.