De Beer's Pass, KwaZulu-Natal
De Beer's Pass is located in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. It is situated on an unmarked road between Ladysmith and Harrismith (labelled as S61 on Google Maps) in the neighbouring Free State province.
De Beer's Pass | |
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![]() ![]() Location in KwaZulu-Natal | |
Elevation | 1,720 m (5,643 ft)[1] |
Location | Between Ladysmith and Harrismith, South Africa |
Coordinates | 28°19′2.8″S 29°29′57.4″E |
This pass should not be confused with another pass of the same name located in South Africa's Eastern Cape province.
N3 realignment
A proposal has been made to reroute the nearby N3 national road over De Beer's Pass. The proposed new alignment would shorten the route between Durban and Johannesburg by 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) and have a more gentle gradient (easier route for trucks) than the existing Van Reenen's Pass.[2]
In March 2017, it was decided by SANRAL that the construction of the De Beer's Pass Route for the N3 will not continue, as it would have disturbed the economies of Harrismith and Van Reenen and possibly would have made them ghost towns.[3][4]
References
- "De Beer's Pass (KZN)". Mountain Passes South Africa. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
- "N3 route to be shortened". Retrieved 2008-09-10.
- "SANRAL cancels de Beers Pass Route construction plans".
- https://www.nra.co.za/live/content.php?Item_ID=5217