Just as a mountain pass closes, things look like they might be possible to handle. It doesn’t snow much. The road is wet, but you can see it. Drivers keep going because they think they’ll make it thru before the weather changes. Then, a truck slides off a slick slope and blocks both lanes, making it impossible for anyone to pass. That’s pretty much what happened this week on Long Tom Pass along the R37 in Mpumalanga. It’s the kind of small mistake that’s been happening all over South Africa as the cold snap gets stronger.
The level of trouble is hard to ignore. Several major routes have been shut down in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, which have been hit the hardest. Because of black ice, Van Reenen Pass, one of the busiest mountain passes in the country, is thot to be very dangerous. The Road Traffic Management Corporation has told drivers not to go thru the N3 into KZN at all. It’s hard to disagree with that advice when you consider that black ice gives drivers no warning and very little chance of getting their cars back on track once they start to slide.
The Eastern Cape has its own set of closures going on. The Penhoek Pass, the Lootsberg Pass, the Barkly Pass, and the Boesmanshoek Pass are all closed. Not just any old back roads, these are important connections between towns, and when they’re closed, it affects supply chains, emergency access, and the daily travel of people who depend on them. It seems like the towns on either side of these passes are now much farther apart than they were last week.
It has been raining salt water across the N3 between Harrismith and Van Reenen Pass in the Free State to keep black ice from forming. The work is boring and difficult, but it’s very important. The weather between Warden and Mooi River is sleet and rain, while snow has covered Swinburne. People who have driven that stretch say they were careful and kept an eye on the car in front of them in case it started to slide. The R74 at Oliviershoek Pass, which goes from Harrismith to Bergville, was usable in the morning but getting worse all afternoon.
The story in Mpumalanga is a little different. The N4/N12 split is open, but most of the province is moving. Emergency services have called the conditions “highly hazardous,” saying that there have been multiple crashes and that the roads are wet and freezing. Along the R540, Belfast, Dullstroom, and Roossenekal are all open, but there are icy spots on the sides of the roads. In this case, “open” and “safe” mean very different things, and you should think about that difference before you decide to drive.
Even tho the Western Cape is usually cooler, it can still get hit. Both the Franschhoek mountain road and the Swartberg Pass are closed because of snow. This is a rare sight in a region that doesn’t always prepare its drivers for snowy conditions. Other than the closures, traffic across the province is moving at a moderate pace. However, the closures serve as a reminder that this cold snap is more than just complaining about cold mornings.
As of now, there aren’t many major road problems in Gauteng, Limpopo, North West, or the Northern Cape. However, it is still cold and wet. It’s possible that the worst is already here for the provinces that have been hit the hardest. Aside from that, things could change again before the system clears.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation’s advice is clear and simple: slow down, don’t travel when you don’t have to, and check with the authorities before you leave. That’s what everyone who has seen a truck stuck on a snowy pass will say, tho usually with a lot more feeling.
