N12 road (South Africa)

National route N12
The N12 at Perseboom Drift in Meiringspoort as it passes through the Swartberg
Route information
Maintained by SANRAL
Major junctions
Southwest end:	N2 near George
	N9 near George N1 near Beaufort West N1 at Three Sisters N10 at Britstown N8 in Kimberley N18 at Warrenton N1 near Soweto N3 at Alberton N3 at Bedfordview
Northeast end:	N4 in Witbank
Location
Major cities:	George, Oudtshoorn, Beaufort West, Kimberley, Klerksdorp, Potchefstroom, Johannesburg, Germiston, Witbank
Highway system
Numbered routes of South Africa ← N11 N14 →

The N12 is a national route in South Africa which runs from George through Beaufort West, Kimberley, Klerksdorp and Johannesburg to Witbank^[1] It is maintained by the South African National Roads Agency

Route

The road starts in George in the Western Cape and ends in Witbank in Mpumalanga. The road runs roughly from south to north, however, once it passes Kimberley in the Northern Cape, it gradually turns eastward. Only the section between Soweto and Witbank is a limited access dual motorway. The section between Klerksdorp and Potchefstroom is a dual carriage highway.

Meiringspoort Pass

The Meiringspoort section in the Swartberg between De Rust and Klaarstroom follows the gorge cut by the Groot River. It is a scenic drive crossing twelve old drifts (replaced by bridges today). From De Rust one will cross the drifts in the following order: Spook drift, Boesman drift, Nooiensboom drift, Dubble Drif se Draai, Ou tol drift, Wa drift, Witfontein se drift, Ontploffings drift, Perskeboom drift, Wasgat drift, Eerste/Laaste drift.^[2][3]

Monuments

• Herrie's Stone, Meiringspoort. The writer C.J. Langenhoven chiselled the name of the elephant Herrie from his book Sonde met die Bure, on this rock in July 1929.^[4]

References

1. Falkner, John (May 2012). South African Numbered Route Description and Destination Analysis (Report). National Department of Transport. pp. 27–30. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
2. G. Ross: Romance of Cape Mountain Passes. New Africa Books. 2004. ISBN 0864866631, 9780864866639. p.89.
3. Meiringspoort pass
4. "Herrie's Stone, Meiringspoort, Oudtshoorn District - 9/2/068/0010". South African Heritage Resource Agency.

External links

• National Roads Agency SA