Johannesburg - Motorists traveling on the N1, Ben Schoeman Highway between Johannesburg and Pretoria on Sunday can expect delays.
"A section of the road between the Allandale and New Road interchanges will be closed from approximately 3am to 9pm for 1.6 kilometers due to bridge construction operations on Sunday," the South African National Road Agency Limited (SANRAL) said.
However, in order to facilitate travel between the two cities - contraflow controls will be in force, said SANRAL's Project Manager Alex van Niekerk
"The starting point of the contraflow section will begin at the New Road interchange and impact on the southbound carriageway.
"During the construction period, traffic on the southbound carriageway will be deviated on to the northbound carriageway," he said.
However, there will only be two lanes available for vehicles traveling north and two for those traveling south - effectively halving the normal road width available for traffic, he said.
He said speed restrictions will also be put in place and motorists are further urged to use alternative routes to avoid the inconvenience.
"Speed restrictions will also be in place with a maximum limit of 60km/h being applicable for the approximately 17-hour period," the Mr van Niekerk said, adding that motorists must make use of alternative routes between the two cities.
He apologised to motorists on behalf of SANRAL for the inconvenience and urged motorists to be careful.
"We do apologise for any inconvenience caused and delays which may be experienced. We also urge motorists to drive carefully and considerately on the Ben Schoeman Highway during these hours.
He reminded the public that the work being done on the highway is aimed at delivering a better and more efficient highway.
"The work being undertaken will ultimately speed up the process of delivering a new Ben Schoeman to the benefit of all road users," Mr van Niekerk said.
