N3 highway, South Africa

National route N3
Route information
Maintained by SANRAL, N3TC, eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality[1]
Major junctions
Southeast end:	Pine Street/Commercial Road in Durban
	N2 in Durban N11 near Ladysmith N5 at Harrismith N17 at Alberton N12 at Alberton N12 at Bedfordview
Northwest end:	N1 near Sandton
Location
Major cities:	Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Estcourt, Ladysmith, Harrismith, Heidelberg, Germiston, Johannesburg
Highway system
Numbered routes of South Africa ← N2 N4 →

Numbered routes of South Africa

The N3 is a national route in South Africa that connects Johannesburg and Durban, respectively South Africa's largest and third-largest cities. Johannesburg is the financial and commercial heartland of South Africa, while Durban is South Africa's key port and one of the busiest ports in the Southern Hemisphere and is also a holiday destination. Durban is the port through which Johannesburg imports and exports most of its goods. As a result, the N3 is a very busy highway and has a high volume of traffic.

The N3 is divided into 12 sections, starting with section 1 in Durban and ending with section 12 in Johannesburg. Between the two cities, the route passes the following towns and cities: Pietermaritzburg, Estcourt, Ladysmith, Harrismith, Heidelberg and Germiston. It no longer passes through any of these towns, as bypasses have been built around all of them. The last bypass that was built was around the town of Warden.

The N3 begins in the Durban Central Business District at Pine Street and Commercial Road as a dual-carriageway freeway and heads west, passing through Berea and Mayville before intersecting with the N2 at the EB Cloete Interchange. It then heads through Westville before bypassing the south of Pinetown. The route is then tolled at Mariannhill as it leaves the urban area, and then heads towards Cato Ridge. From Cato Ridge, the route passes Camperdown before turning towards the northwest and heading towards Pietermaritzburg, the provincial capital.

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Wikipedia