R61 (South Africa)

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Provincial route R61 shield
Provincial route R61
Cradock
R67 in Komani
N6 in Komani
N6 southeast of Komani
R58 in Ngcobo
N2 in Mthatha
East end N2 in Port Shepstone
Location
CountrySouth Africa
Major cities
Highway system
  • Numbered routes of South Africa
← R60→ R62

The R61 is a long

Port Edward.[1]

The R61 is co-signed with the

N6 for 18 kilometres near Queenstown.[1]

Route

KwaZulu-Natal

The R61 begins in

Ramsgate, up to Southbroom. At Southbroom, it stops being both a toll road and a highway. From Port Shepstone to Southbroom, the R61 is followed by the R620 route
.

From Southbroom the R61 resumes south-south-west for 25 kilometres to

Port Edward. Just after Port Edward, the R61 leaves the KwaZulu-Natal Province and crosses the Mtamvuna River via the C. H. Mitchell Bridge into the Eastern Cape
Province.

Eastern Cape

From the provincial boundary (Mtamvuna River), the R61 heads north-west for 50 km to the town of

Flagstaff, to the town of Lusikisiki. It continues southwards for 40 kilometres to cross the Mzimvubu River and reach a junction just north of the town of Port St. Johns. It bends to the west and heads 87 kilometres, bypassing Libode, to the city of Mthatha, where it crosses the Mthatha River and meets the N2 national route
again in the city centre.

From Mthatha, the R61 heads westwards for 83 kilometres as the

Cradock, where it meets the N10 national route. The R61 & N10 are one road northwards through the city centre of Cradock, continuing by a left turn (Commissioner Street), a right turn (JA Calata Street) and another left turn, to cross the Great Fish River
.

The R61 and the N10 remain as one road for another 4.5 km west-north-west, before the R61 becomes its own road westwards. The R61 continues for 85 kilometres as the

Aberdeen. At the 4-way-junction with Hoop Street (R338
), the R61 stops co-signing with the N9 and becomes the road westwards from this junction.

From Aberdeen, the R61 heads westwards for 148 kilometres, crossing into the Western Cape Province, to enter the town of Beaufort West and reach its western terminus at a junction with the N1 and N12 national route co-signage.

Wild Coast Highway

Main article: N2 (South Africa) § N2 Wild Coast Toll Route (N2WCTR)

There are plans to give the first section of the R61, from its starting junction with the N2 in

East London
, this route will be named the "Wild Coast Toll Route".

While it will take over most of the R61's route, this new

Bizana on the route between those two towns (it will be 69 km shorter than the current R61).[3][4] This new shortcut between Port Edward and Lusikisiki will have a tollgate constructed while there will also be a tollgate constructed on the stretch from Lusikisiki to Mthatha, just outside of Port St Johns.[3][4] The overall distance between Port Shepstone and Mthatha will be 85 km shorter than the current N2.[3][4]

Once the N2 Wild Coast Toll Route is complete, the existing 320 kilometre section of the R61 from Port Shepstone via Port Edward, Bizana, Flagstaff, and Lusikisiki to Mthatha will no-longer be designated as the R61.[3][4]

Board signs indicating the N2 to Port Shepstone and Port Edward

As of 2021, the road classification numbers on the board signs on the R61 between Port Shepstone and Port Edward have already been changed to signs indicating the N2 as part of the Wild Coast Highway Project, indicating that the freeway from the Oribi Toll Plaza in Port Shepstone southwards will no-longer be designated as the R61.[6] Also, some of the Eastern Cape sections of the new Wild Coast Highway are being constructed as of 2021.[7]

See also

  • Wapadsberg Pass
  • R306 (Eastern Cape)
    connecting road
  • N2 Wild Coast Toll Route

References

  1. ^ a b "RDDA SOUTH AFRICAN NUMBERED ROUTE DESCRIPTION AND DESTINATION ANALYSIS". NATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT. May 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  2. ^ "@nuxtjs/Amp".
  3. ^ a b c d e "Wild Coast toll road on track". DispatchLIVE. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e "N2 road project to continue". DispatchLIVE. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  5. ^ "Wild Coast Road project takes in highest bridge in Africa". The South African. 5 September 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  6. ^ "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  7. ^ Langa, Lungi (13 September 2021). "OUR BURNING PLANET: Sparks fly at meeting with rural community over proposed N2 Wild Coast toll road". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 3 August 2022.

External links

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