Shaun Smillie and Sapa
The N3 highway was set to return to normal today after authorities were able to clean up snow and slush and remove jack-knifed trucks.
Yesterday, Con Roux, the commercial manager of the N3 Concession, said while they were reopening both the north and south-bound highways to the public, they advised travellers not to use the road last night because, while snow had been removed, there could still be ice on the highway.
Just before the N3 was to be reopened to the public yesterday, it was opened to allow the traffic trapped during the closure to start moving. A 13km traffic jam had built up on the north and south-bound roads.
This was after 220km of the N3 was sealed off after heavy snowfalls in the Van Reneen’s Pass and Harrismith areas on Monday and Tuesday.
This was the first time since 2001 that the N3 had to be closed because of adverse weather.
The slippery conditions on Tuesday had caused several trucks to jack-knife.
The army had to be called in to assist motorists between Villiers and Harrismith.
Travellers stuck at Harrismith, a halfway spot, were able to make their way, but only towards Gauteng.
Motorists travelling along sections of the N3 yesterday were treated to brilliant scenes of snow-draped landscapes lit up by the sun.
After the cold snap, conditions across the country are set to improve, according to the SA Weather Service.
Joburg is likely to have a high of 17°C today, and Pretoria 19°C.