Busy traffic conditions expected on the N3 Toll Route during the upcoming Midmar Mile weekend at Midmar Dam near Howick in KZN.

N3 Toll Concession (N3TC), the company managing the N3 Toll Route between Cedara in KwaZulu-Natal and Heidelberg in Gauteng, alerts travellers to expect peak traffic conditions on Friday, 7 February and Sunday, 9 February 2020 as the annual international open water swim event takes place at the Midmar Dam near Howick in KwaZulu-Natal.

To accommodate the influx of travellers, no construction work will be taking place between Cedara and Tweedie this weekend. 

Traffic congestion and delays may, however, be experienced at peak times along sections of the N3 route.

The Midmar Mile is one of the biggest and arguably one of the most popular open-water swimming events in the world. N3TC together with the Midlands community in KwaZulu-Natal are looking forward to welcome swimmers and their supporters to this event.

“N3TC is a proud partner of this event. As safety is always top of mind, we have joined the event organisers to provide lifeguard services and aquatic safety devices to swimmers.

But, as we are doing our best to help keep swimmers safe in the water, our first aim is always to ensure safety on the road. Please keep in mind that a great event only ends once you have arrived safely back home,” says N3TC’s commercial manager, Con Roux.

A strategically important road such as the N3 Toll Route requires comprehensive incident management systems to ensure as little disruption as possible to the thousands of travellers who use the road daily. Every emergency requires a co-ordinated response to minimise safety risks and to keep traffic flowing.

N3TC partners with all emergency services (including law and traffic enforcement teams, paramedics and ambulance services, fire brigades, crash recovery services, etc) to keep the route as safe as possible.

The company operates a central route control centre, based at Harrismith, to manage all incidents and provide emergency assistance to road users in distress. The route control centre (RCC) is the nerve centre of the N3 Toll Route.

“If anything happens on the route, the RCC knows about it and will determine the response and corrective actions that may be required. This is a vitally important part of our operations and a key early-warning system,” explains Roux.

Road users can tap into the RCC to obtain relevant traffic information and roadside assistance, or to report any emergencies or problems along the N3 Toll Route.

“Together with its 24-hour emergency helpline, N3TC provides an around the clock route patrol services to respond to emergencies. Our road incident management teams are highly-skilled and experienced, and always ready to be of assistance,” continues Roux. “They all have first-aid and fire-fighting training, advanced driving skills and good mechanical knowledge. They also know how to handle hazardous and highly volatile substances, and understand the practicalities and logistics of keeping a road safe for its users.”

Travellers on the N3 Toll Route are encouraged to make use of this service, even if only to obtain advance traffic information. To do so, contact the 24-hour helpline on 0800 63 4357 or follow N3TC on Twitter: @N3Route. Any problems on the N3 Toll Route can also be reported to this number or via Twitter.

“We wish all our road users a safe journey and a safe and enjoyable aQuellé Midmar Mile,” ends Roux.

ENDS.