Beyers Naudé Drive Explained

Country:ZAF
Type:JM
Route:5
Maint:Johannesburg Roads Agency and Department of Roads and Transport (Gauteng)
Length Km:31
Length Mi:19.3
Established:1890s
Direction A:North
Terminus A:, Muldersdrift
Junction: Christiaan de Wet, Randpark Ridge
Northumberland, Sundowner
Ysterhout Drive, Randpark Ridge
John Vorster Road, Randpark Ridge
Western Bypass, Randpark Ridge
Judges Avenue, Blackheath
Pendoring Avenue, Blackheath
Direction B:South
Terminus B: Main Road in Melville, Johannesburg

Beyers Naudé Drive is a large arterial route in Johannesburg, South Africa. It starts at the University of Johannesburg in Auckland Park, travelling through Melville, Roosevelt Park, Northcliff, Blackheath and traversing the N1 Western Bypass at Randpark Ridge. It terminates at the N14 freeway near Muldersdrift. It was previously known as DF Malan Drive. It forms part of Johannesburg's M5 road.

Background

On old Johannesburg municipal maps, the rough roadway was called the Mulders Drift Road. Later it was renamed DF Malan Drive after the South African Prime Minister DF Malan. In September 2001, DF Malan Drive was renamed Beyers Naudé Drive after celebrated anti-apartheid pastor Beyers Naudé.[1] He was excommunicated by the Dutch Reformed Church for his views, but subsequently re-accepted after apartheid's abolition.

The drive links the inner city of Johannesburg to the far western regions of Gauteng over a distance of 30 kilometres. It varies from being three lanes in each direction through Roosevelt Park and Randpark Ridge to being single lanes in each direction through Honeydew/Zandspruit and further out to Muldersdrift.

Several shopping malls, the largest being Cresta Shopping Centre in Blackheath, are located along Beyers Naudé Drive. It is a major arterial route for residents of Randburg and Roodepoort to access the city centre (Braamfontein and the M1 highway through the city centre).

References

-26.1217°N 27.9603°W

Notes and References

  1. News: Square, major road named after Beyers Naude . IOL News . 30 September 2001 . SAPA . 15 August 2016 . Mngadi, Zanele.