The Bayhead area between South Coast Road and the Durban container terminal in KwaZulu-Natal has come to a standstill following heavy winds experienced at Pier 1 on Monday night.
Social media reports suggest that trucks are blocking both entrance and exit lanes.
In addition, traffic updates have reported a collision and a broken down truck along the route.
The South Africa Weather Service has issued a warning of strong winds with speeds of up to 55-60 kilometres per hour along the Durban coastline.
Police were on the scene to divert and control traffic in an effort to ease the backlog, said Durban Metro Police.