N3 Eastern Bypass (Johannesburg)

National route N3 shield
National route N3
Route information
Length24.9 km (15.5 mi)
Major junctions
North end N1 / M1 Buccleuch Interchange
Major intersections M60 Marlboro
M54 Alexandra
R25 Greenstone
M16 Edenvale
N12 / R24 Bedfordview
M52 Bedfordview
M2 Germiston
South end N12 Elands Interchange
Location
CountrySouth Africa
Highway system

The N3 Eastern Bypass is a section of the Johannesburg Ring Road that forms a beltway around the city of Johannesburg, South Africa, as part of the N3. The first section of the freeway opened in 1971, from Buccleuch to the interchange with Main Reef Road in Germiston. This is one reason why Germiston is listed as the southbound destination of this route, from the Buccleuch to Geldenhuys Interchanges, rather than to the Elands Interchange south of Germiston. The remaining section from Main Reed Road to Black Reef Road (Rand Airport Road), which included the construction of the Geldenhuys Interchange, was opened in 1977, linking the Eastern Bypass with the N3 freeway to Heidelberg. The interchange at Main Reef Road was removed. (Main Reef Road is now an overbridge)[1][2][3]

Much of the highway forms a border between Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni. From the south, the Eastern Bypass begins at the Elands Interchange, where it merges with the N12 Southern Bypass. It ends at the Buccleuch Interchange, where it merges with the N1 Western Bypass and M1 freeways. Other exits include M46 Rand Airport Road (southbound only), M2 motorway Johannesburg/Germiston (Geldenhuys Interchange), M52 Van Buuren Road, R24 OR Tambo Int'l Airport / N12 eMalahleni (George Bizos Interchange), M16 Linksfield Road, R25 Modderfontein Road, M54 London Road, and M60 Marlboro Road.[4][5][6][7]

The entire Eastern Bypass was part of the Gauteng e-Toll Project and had open road tolling from 3 December 2013[8] up until e-tolls were discontinued in Gauteng on 12 April 2024.[9][10]

  1. ^ "Johannesburg Roads Agency - Company documents". www.jra.org.za. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  2. ^ "Johannesburg Road Agency Q2 2021 Report" (PDF). Johannesburg Road Agency Website. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  3. ^ "RDDA SOUTH AFRICAN NUMBERED ROUTE DESCRIPTION AND DESTINATION ANALYSIS". NATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT. May 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  4. ^ "Roads". www.joburg.org.za. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  5. ^ Vivier, Tyler Leigh (10 July 2020). "The Johannesburg ring road was seen from space and its stunning!". Good Things Guy. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  6. ^ "Explore SA's best roads: Jozi's Ring Road beltway". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  7. ^ Mitchell, M. F.; Lucykx, L. M. G. P.; Stanway, R. A. (1 January 1990), "The Johannesburg National Ring Road", Orbital motorways, Conference Proceedings, Thomas Telford Publishing, pp. 123–141, doi:10.1680/om.15913, ISBN 978-0-7277-4846-1, retrieved 17 April 2021
  8. ^ "E-tolls going live in Gauteng". fin24.com. 20 November 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  9. ^ South African Government ends e-tolls in Gauteng press release published 28th of March 2024, retrieved and archived 5th of April 2024 [1]
  10. ^ Njilo, Nonkululeko (10 April 2024). "Gauteng set to finally end e-tolls, overdue fees remain". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 12 April 2024.