In a bid to address safety and traffic congestion on the notorious Town Hill section of the N3, a proposal to reroute that section of the national road has been welcomed by the freight industry, but rejected by affected property owners in the some of the plushest suburbs.

The plan, presented under a proposed uMgungundlovu Roads Development Agency (Uroda), seeks to divert heavy freight traffic away from Town Hill — where steep gradients, sharp bends and trucks backing up at the compulsory stop continue to contribute to frequent accidents.

ALSO READ | Man critically injured after being trapped under car in an N3 crash

Congestion at the compulsory stop has also resulted in the back-up of traffic that sometimes results in trucks having to add an additional two-hours to their trip time.

Two consultation meetings have already been held, one with the freight industry and the other with communities impacted by the by-pass route that will cut a swathe from the top of Hilton sweeping down the valley through the plush leafy suburbs of Chase Valley, Chase Valley Heights, before rejoining the existing N3 just on the straight section just before the Chota Motala interchange.

While the freight industry and property owners alongside the existing N3 Townhill section have welcomed the news those on the other side of the valley are fuming.

However, James Spartan and Mike Newland from the uMgungundlovu Roads Development Agency said that the bypass proposal was one of the brightest ideas they’ve heard in a long while.

Not only will it alleviate the congestion for heavy vehicle, but daily commuters will now have an express lane reserved for them, allowing them to travel easily.

“But more importantly it means that the old section of the N3 near the arrestor bed can be incorporated into the neighbouring golf estate,” they explained.

ALSO READ | N3 toll route busy over weekend as Easter travel volumes expected to rise

Developer Richard Selland said that not only will he be able to sell more land, but the disused truck arrestor bed will be converted into an additional sand bunker and driving range for the golf estate.

Town Hill has long been identified as a high-risk section of the N3.

Engineering and transport studies have pointed to the limitations of its current alignment, with the gradient and curvature making it difficult for heavy vehicles to operate safely.

The compulsory stop further contributes to congestion and increases the risk of collisions as trucks slow or queue.

The N3 corridor between Durban and Pietermaritzburg forms part of a multi-billion rand national upgrade programme aimed at improving safety and freight efficiency along one of South Africa’s most critical logistics routes.

Previous planning has included bypass options to avoid Town Hill, but the current proposal has caught residents off-guard.

This is the most preposterous idea I’ve ever heard of. To solve one problem, you’re creating another.

“With all the fake news going around we must wonder whether this a joke,” said resident Koos van der Merwe.

Transport engineering specialist Dr Myles Uphill, who is involved in the project, said the new alignment forms part of the broader national planning objectives.

“It forms part of a wider transport master blueprint (TMB) and is linked to the National Development Plan (NDP).

ALSO READ | Full N3 closure planned for bridge work in Pietermaritzburg

“As everyone knows the NDP is now under the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) that follows the promulgation last year on exactly today’s date of the Efficiency and Effective Government Act (Eega) under the government of national unity (GNU),” said Uphill.

This story will be updated later today online and in tomorrow’s Witness.