N6 (South Africa)

The N6 is a national route in South Africa that connects East London with Bloemfontein, via Komani and Aliwal North.[1] It runs roughly from north to south, connecting the N1 with the N2.

National route N6
Map of the N6 route
The N6 crosses the Orange River on the General Hertzog Bridge at Aliwal North
Route information
Maintained by SANRAL
Length	538 km (334 mi)
Major junctions
South end	N2 in East London
North end	N1 near Bloemfontein
Location
Major cities	East London Stutterheim Komani Jamestown Aliwal North Rouxville Smithfield Bloemfontein
Highway system
Numbered routes of South Africa ← N5 N7 →

Route

Eastern Cape

The N6 begins in the City of East London in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality of the Eastern Cape Province, next to the Nahoon River, at an interchange with the N2 Highway. South of the highway, it is the R72 Road.

It begins by going northwest for 31 Kilometres to the town of Macleantown, where it leaves the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality. It continues northwest for another 21 Kilometres to meet the R63 Road at an intersection near Kei Road.

It continues northwest for 19 kilometers to the town of Stutterheim. It proceeds northwest for another 47 kilometers to the town of Cathcart. It proceeds north-north-west for 54 kilometres, crossing the Black Kei River, to reach Queenstown (town renamed Komani in February 2016).

14 kilometers before Komani, the R61 meets the N6 and they are one road into the town of Komani. In the Stuttaford suburb of Komani, the R61 becomes its own road westwards at the junction with the R67. The N6 continues northwards for 162 kilometres, bypassing Sterkstroom, passing through Jamestown, to the town of Aliwal North, where it meets the R58. At the junction with Barkly Street in Aliwal North, the N6 makes a left turn and proceeds to cross the Orange River into the Free State as the General Hertzog Bridge.

Free State

From the Orange River crossing at Aliwal North, the N6 goes north-north-east for 34 kilometres to the town of Rouxville, where it meets the R26. It turns to the north-west and continues for 37 kilometres to the town of Smithfield, where the R701 joins it in the southern suburbs before they split in the northern suburbs. It crosses the Caledon River almost midway between Rouxville and Smithfield.

From Smithfield, the N6 continues north-north-west for 70 kilometres to the town of Reddersburg, where it is joined by the R717 from Edenburg in the southern suburbs before they split in the central area. From Reddersburg, the N6 makes a direct line for Bloemfontein, going northwards for 49 kilometres to reach a four-way junction south-west of the Bloemfontein suburb of Mangaung (which is also the name of the Metropolitan Municipality in which the city is located). As the road northwards from this junction is the M30 Metropolitan Route towards the Mangaung suburb and Bloemfontein Central, the N6 becomes the road westwards and proceeds to end at the next junction, which is an interchange with the N1 Highway (Bloemfontein Western Bypass).

History

Prior to 1970, the N6 began from King William's Town in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality and proceeded through Stutterheim. Today, the road from King William's Town to Stutterheim is designated as the R346 Road. Also, the N6 used to end at its current junction with the R717 south of the Reddersburg Town Centre, as the R717 from Edenburg to Reddersburg, together with the N6 from Reddersburg to Bloemfontein, formed part of the N1 National Route.[2]

References

1. Falkner, John (May 2012). South African Numbered Route Description and Destination Analysis (Report). National Department of Transport. p. 19. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
2. Anonymous. Shell Road Atlas of Southern Africa. Shell, 1970

External links

• National Roads Agency SA