The N3 near Pietermaritzburg, which was the scene of a deadly multiple-vehicle pile-up in which five people were killed and many more were injured, has been reopened.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport announced late on Monday that the road is now accessible.
KZN provincial traffic officials closed the N3 northbound between Hilton and Cedara, as well as the Durban-bound stretch of the freeway, for more than four hours to enable emergency services to attend to the scene of the crash in rainy and misty weather conditions.
More than 20 vehicles, including five trucks and eight minibus taxis, were involved in the accident.
Light motor vehicles were diverted from the Liberty Mall off-ramp to alternative routes, such as the R103, after the accident led to the road closure in the late afternoon.
Dozens of affected commuters were sheltered in the uMngeni Town Hall, and an emergency contact centre was established.
The department announced the reopening of the N3 just before midnight when vehicles and trucks started to move amid long backlogs of traffic.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Sipho Hlomuka, said provincial authorities were “hugely disappointed” about the number of fatal crashes over the long weekend.
“We acknowledge the magnitude of this horrific accident, and the trauma felt by all those involved is unbearable. We once again wish to send our deepest condolences to all the affected families and wish a speedy recovery to all those who sustained injuries,” Hlomuka said.
“Some motorists have been stuck for hours and lost a lot of time in traffic. We, however, wish to salute all the emergency response teams for a job well done under such unfavourable weather conditions.
"As provincial authorities, we are hugely disappointed with the fatal crashes recorded during this Easter weekend,” Hlomuka said.
“We appeal to those who will be continuing with theirs to be on high alert and ensure maximum adherence to traffic regulations,” he said.
Road Freight Association (RFA) CEO, Gavin Kelly, called for authorities to find the cause of the crash and the reason for the high number of accidents reported in recent months.
“The scenes on the N3 yesterday are not what we want to see on the roads of South Africa. No matter where these happen, no matter how they happen, we need to find out why they are happening,” Kelly said.
“Why are they becoming so frequent? The RFA calls on all involved in the investigation to find the root causes so that we can address them and prevent these sorts of horrendous crashes,” he said.
Kelly urged motorists to drive carefully and responsibly, to slow down and concentrate in wet and misty conditions and when there are high traffic volumes on the road.
“We need to think about the way we use our roads. We need to think every time we get into a vehicle, whether it’s a truck or a light motor vehicle,” Kelly said.
Meanwhile, Tshwane Metro Emergency Services cleared the N4 eastbound freeway of high-voltage power cables that fell on the road, closing it to traffic over the weekend.
“The crisis is as a result of electrical pylons that collapsed onto the N4 highway near Simon Vermooten off-ramp last night,” Tshwane Metro said in a statement.
“This incident led to the closure of the N4 freeway east between Solomon Mahlangu and Simon Vermooten on- and off-ramps."
The Tshwane municipality stated that the highway had reopened on Sunday evening after the "power crisis."
Individuals who need to find family members affected by the N3 crash or wish to receive a status update on the road can contact the department's emergency contact center number at 033 940 8484.
