N1 Road (South Africa) - Old Route

Old Route

In numerous places in South Africa, specifically near major cities, the N1 route was built to freeway standards. The original routes usually carry the designation of R101 and are often alternative routes to the newer, sometimes tolled, highways. An example is the R101 over Du Toitskloof Pass where the new N1 highway bypasses the pass altogether by use of the Huguenot Tunnel.

There are exceptions to the usual R101 alternative route designation:

• The old N1 route from Colesburg to Bloemfontein is designated R717 until Redderburg when it is designated N6
• The old N1 route through Bloemfontein is designated as the M30.
• Between Kroonstad and Parys, the old route is designated firstly as the R721 from Kroonstad to Vredefort and then as the R59 through Parys to the interchange with the N1 at the Vaal Toll Plaza, approximately 10 km south of the Vaal River.
• Between the Vaal River and Johannesburg, several alternative routes exist, the official alternative route being via the Golden Highway (R553). The old N1 route however followed the designation of the R42 to Vereeniging, and then the R82 leading to Johannesburg's M1 freeway. The M1 provides the alternative route through Johannesburg; near the Buccleuch Interchange (the point where the N1, M1 and N3 converge), the R101 then resumes, providing the alternative route through to Polokwane.