Transport minister, Blade Nzimande this week opened the Mount Edgecombe Interchange connecting the N2 and M41 in KwaZulu Natal.
The R1.1 billion infrastructure development project was undertaken by the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral).
“Due to the expansion of the Umhlanga and La Lucia Ridge areas, the existing interchange had been operating at capacity with vehicles backing up on the M41 and onto the N2 in peak hours,” said Sanral CEO, Skhumbuzo Macozoma. “An additional 40 000 vehicles were entering or leaving the N2 from the M41 daily, resulting in substantial queuing of vehicles during the day.
“This, together with expected future expansions and development of the Cornubia area, required the existing interchange to be upgraded in order to improve the flow to and from the N2 and M41 to the supporting road network.”
He noted that the intersection was a vital artery to the greater eThekwini metropolitan highway system and contributed significantly to small, medium and micro-sized enterprise development.
The construction of the new four-level interchange included the addition of directional ramps, eliminating the need for controlled signalisation, thereby ensuring the free flow of traffic in all directions.
Two newly constructed bridges formed part of the road project, one of which is now the longest incrementally launched bridge in the country at 948 metres long, joining the Mount Edgecombe side of the M41 with the N2 south. The second bridge joins the Umhlanga side of the M41 with the N2 north.
