The R21 is a major north–south provincial route (with a freeway portion designated as a National Road) in eastern Gauteng Province, South Africa. Built in the early 1970s, it remains one of two freeways (the other being the N1) linking Pretoria with Johannesburg, via the R24. As the eastern of the two freeways, it links the Pretoria city centre with OR Tambo International Airport and Boksburg. It has off-ramps leading to Irene, Olifantsfontein, Benoni, and Kempton Park. The route intersects the N1 highway (Eastern Pretoria Bypass; Danie Joubert Freeway) near Centurion, the R24 near the airport, the N12 and N17 in Boksburg, and the N3 near Vosloorus on the East Rand, where it ends. The section from the N12 to the N3 is not a freeway. when it was also transferred to the South African National Roads Agency. The South African government announced on 28 March 2024 that e-tolls in Gauteng would officially be shut down on 11 April 2024 at midnight, therefore returning the R21 to being a toll-free route.

Route

The R21 begins just north-east of Fountains Valley in Pretoria as Nelson Mandela Drive, at a roundabout intersection with the M18 Christina De Wit Avenue, M7 and M5 metropolitan roads of Pretoria, heading south-east. After Fountains Valley, the R21 passes by Monument Park. After Monument Park, the R21 becomes a freeway (separating the city of Centurion to the west from Pretoria East to the east), with the first off-ramp being the M10 (Solomon Mahlangu Drive) east of the Waterkloof Air Force Base. From the R562 Olifantsfontein off-ramp to the R25 Birchleigh off-ramp, the R21 bypasses the township of Thembisa (forms its eastern boundary). The R24 route from OR Tambo International Airport south-west to Bedfordview was also named the Albertina Sisulu Freeway just before the 2010 FIFA World Cup' and so, these two highways (the R21 from Pretoria to the airport and the R24 from the airport to Bedfordview) are together known as the Albertina Sisulu Freeway.

  • Routes Travel Info
  • Esorfranki Limited 2010 Annual report

References