South African National Road Agency (Sanral) has announced through Hennie Kotze, the project engineer of the Sanral Northern Region, the start of the Limpopo N1 road upgrade project just north of Musina in Limpopo, and warned the public and road users to expect deviations.
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According to Hennie Kotze, the project which is due to the N1’s need for a changed layout to allow for the building of a tie-in of the new Ring Road into the current N1 between the former R572 crossroads will be carried out from 15 February 2022 until 31 July 2022 and it will cause closure of the present N1 between these two places.
Vehicles and those utilizing the N1 in both directions, as well as those wishing to reach the R572 from the N1 and the R572, will therefore be impacted. Access to and from Elias Ramuthivheli Street to these routes will also be impacted.
Constructon of the new ring road connecting Musina South and Musina North
The construction of a new ring road connecting Musina South and Musina North began in December 2019 and is expected to be finished in 2022. The Raubex organization manages the project, which’s major goal is to redirect N1 traffic around Musina.
Every day, around 1,000 heavy cars and trucks travel through Musina’s city center on the Limpopo N1 road. Intersections and reduced speed limits cause considerable traffic congestion and infrastructural damage in the town’s core business center. The route would relieve traffic congestion between Musina and the Beit Bridge border crossing, a gateway to several other Southern African Development Community nations that trade with South Africa, including Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The project is expected to cost R677 million.
Sanral stated that alternate routes will be provided from Musina along the N1 towards Beit Bridge and the R572, from Beit Bridge along the N1 towards the R572 and Musina, and from the R572 to Musina, Beit Bridge, and Elias Ramuthivheli Street. Sanral has apologized for any inconvenience caused and thanks road users for their cooperation and tolerance throughout construction. The business also urged vehicles to approach construction zones with caution, slow down, and watch for pedestrians and construction employees.