N2 road (South Africa)
Template: Infobox trunk road / Maintenance / ZA -N
Provinces:
- Western Cape
- Eastern Cape
- KwaZulu -Natal
- Mpumalanga
The National Route 2 (short- N2) is one of the national roads in South Africa. It is the main street of South Africa along the Indian Ocean coast. The N2 starts in Cape Town ( Western Cape ) and passes through Port Elizabeth and East London in the Eastern Cape and Durban (KwaZulu -Natal) up to Ermelo in Mpumalanga.
Route
Important cities along the N2 Cape Town, Somerset West, Caledon, Swellendam, Mossel Bay, George, Knysna, Humansdorp, Port Elizabeth, Grahamstown, King William 's Town, Bisho, East London, Mthatha, Kokstad, Port Shepstone, Durban, Stanger, Empangeni, Piet Retief and Ermelo.
Western Cape
The N2 starts in Cape Town city center on the northern end of the Buitengracht Street at the entrance to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. The first section of the N2 runs together with the beginning of the N1. It is a four-lane highway that leads from the city center to the port of Cape Town. On the eastern edge of the city center divide the two roads and the N2 leads south as Eastern Boulevard on the goods and marshalling yards and the access tracks of the Cape Town train station.
Only in Woodstock you go back on the ground and immediately afterwards you reach the large motorway junction, which is known for its proximity to the Groote Schuur Hospital as a Hospital Bend. On that cross the N2 and M3 were merged to form a ten-lane highway before they branch off from each other again. Since the Hospital Bend is built along a steep arc and you have to often change during the passage through the interchange track, there are often traffic jams and accidents.
After the Hospital Bend the N2 turns eastwards and performs as a six-lane highway on the Kapebene to Somerset West. This section is Settler's Way: appointed ( German " way of the settlers ' ). Along this route, crossing the M5, M7 and R300. She also runs along the main runway of the airport in Cape Town. In Somerset West the N2 becomes a dual carriageway without median strip and must pass several crossings with traffic lights, often provide for the congestion.
East of Somerset West increases the N2 and crosses the Sir Lowry 's Pass. Introduces you to the Overberg region. On the plateau of the Hottentots Holland Mountains it passes through Grabouw and over the Houwhoek Pass back down after Botrivier. Then the N2 crosses the agricultural plain to the cities of Caledon, Riviersonderend, Swellendam and Riversdale. Between Albertinia and Mossel Bay the N2 crosses the River Gourits. The Gourits River bridge is 270 meters long and 75 meters high. It was opened by Dr LAPA Munnik, the manager of the Cape Province, on 10 November 1977. Designed the bridge of Messrs Liebenberg & Stander Consulting Engineers Cape Town ( Afrikaans: MNRE Liebenberg & Stander Raadgewende engineer Kaapstad ). It replaced the old Gourits River Bridge from 1892, which could be used for many years for bungee jumping. To the north of the two bridges is a railroad bridge. In Mossel Bay the N2 again approaches the coast, where the Garden Route begins.
To the west of Mossel Bay the N2 again to the highway and remains so until it joins the N9 just outside the town of George. From here it crosses the Kaaiman 's Pass On Wilderness and Knysna to Plettenberg Bay. The following road section ( Tsitsikamma Toll Route, named after the Tsitsikamma mountains ) is chargeable, primarily because of the use of the Bloukrans Bridge. Alternatively, the road through Nature's Valley, a resort, to be used. The Bloukrans Bridge is located at the border of the Eastern Cape Province.
Eastern Cape
In the Eastern Cape the N2 passes by Humansdorp and Jeffreys Bay and is then expanded as a four-lane highway that carries through Port Elizabeth and only in Coega stops again. Then the N2 turns to the northeast in the direction of Grahamstown and away from the coast. In this section of the N10 branches off and leads towards Middelburg. The N2 then traverses the former Ciskei. In King William 's Town, the N2 turns again to the coast and meets at East London on it. East London is bypassed by a bypass. Then the N2 meets the N6 which runs from East London to the north in the direction of Bloemfontein.
After East London N2 leads back inland to bypass the difficult terrain of the Wild Coast region. The former Transkei is with the city of Butterworth and then the capital of Umtata, Mthatha today, crosses. In the near Kokstad the N2 crosses the border with KwaZulu -Natal.
KwaZulu -Natal
Behind Kokstad the N2 turns again to the coast, to which it meets at Port Shepstone. After Port Shepstone N2 is again expanded as a motorway and runs along the south coast resorts of Natal - as Umzumbe, Hibberdene, Ifafa Beach, Scottburgh, Umkomaas and Amanzimtoti - before they lead to a further bypass around Durban around. In the Westville bypass, which runs on four levels, take the N2 to the N3 from Johannesburg
Also north of Durben the N2 remains a motorway. It runs past the rocks of Umhlanga, Ballito and Tongaat along the north coast of Natal. In KwaDukuza, the expansion ends as a motorway. The road at the port of Richards Bay over and then turns off again towards the north from the coast and passes right into the heart of Zululand at the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and the Hluhluwe- Umfolozi Game Reserve. Near the border post at eGolela the N2 reaches the border of Swaziland, but then runs westwards along the southern border of Swaziland through Pongola and then crossed the border to the province of Mpumalanga.
Mpumalanga
In Mpumalanga the N2 remains near the border to the city of Piet Retief. From there it continues in a northwesterly direction and ends in Ermelo. Ermelo is connected via the N17 to Johannesburg and Mbabane and on the N11 to Mokopane and Ladysmith.
Disruption of traffic
Due to heavy rains a mudslide blocked a stretch of N2 at Kaaiman 's Pass between George and Wilderness. Then had the road August 26, 2006 are temporarily disabled. Due to the avalanche, a portion of the road has been broken and large gaps were formed in the road surface. On August 29, a track for vehicles was opened under five tons again after a team of engineers had inspected the damage.
It was a follow me along the Saasveld - road, but on the street there are only one-lane traffic for light vehicles. Heavy vehicles must use an alternative route that leads through the R62 and the Langkloof Pass. Thus, the route from George to Wilderness of eleven kilometer extended to over 600 Since then, the road has been reopened to traffic, but it will still need major repairs are made.
The traffic was repeatedly disrupted by protests. On 10 September 2007, residents of the Joe Slovo informal settlement blocked the N2 near Langa. The police then used rubber bullets and so injured about 30 people.
On 4 December 2008, several thousand Inhabited blocked by eMachambini between KwaDukuza and Richards Bay in KwaZulu -Natal N2 to protest against the proposed AmaZulu Word Theme Park. The police opened fire, injuring 23 residents and arrested ten of them.