Pretoria - Traffic is expected to increase at tolls across the country later today as holiday makers leave to their destinations.
According to Retha Cronje, Manager at the Kranskop toll in Limpopo, since this morning, vehicles passing at the toll gate traveling towards Polokwane were 1 300 per hour and 1 100 towards Gauteng.
Last year, the Kranskop tollgate reported peak traffic volumes of 1 700 vehicles per hour at midnight on the eve of Good Friday.
"We expect more traffic later this afternoon including those going to Moria for their annual pilgrimage," she said.
Tens of thousands of members of the Zion Christian Church (ZCC) are expected to make their annual pilgrimage to the church's headquarters at Moria City outside Polokwane this weekend to celebrate Easter.
Under the leadership of Bishop Barnabas Lekganyane, the ZCC pilgrimage is the largest Christian gathering in southern Africa.
It's members stretch as far as Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Angola.
However, traffic has been disrupted by the earlier accident on the N1Northward, between Rigel and Atterbury off-ramps.
A truck carrying cement collided with at least 20 cars between the Rigel and Atterbury off-ramps during the early hours of Thursday morning.
"Motorists are advised to use the R21 and R101 roads as alternatives because the clean-up operations could take up to 24 hours," said Tshwane Community Safety Department Spokesperson Console Tleane.
At the Marianhill Toll Plaza in KwaZulu-Natal, 1 236 vehicles have reportedly passed through the plaza towards Durban and 1 303 vehicles towards Gauteng.
However, Mr Cronje said these numbers are expected to double or even triple later on today as most people finish work in the afternoon.
