| Country: | ZAF |
| Type: | DM |
| Route: | 4 |
| Maint: | eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality |
| Length Km: | 60.5 |
| Terminus A: | near Umlazi |
| Terminus B: | near Ballito |
| Direction A: | South |
| Direction B: | North |
| Previous Type: | DM |
| Junctions: | near Clairwood in Durban CBD in Durban CBD in Durban CBD in Durban CBD in Durban CBD near Durban CBD near Durban North in uMhlanga Rocks in uMhlanga Rocks near eMdloti near oThongathi near Ballito |
| Towns: | Durban, uMhlanga, eMdloti, La Mercy, Desainager, Tongaat Beach, Genazzano, Westbrook, Ballito |
| Next Type: | DM |
| Previous Route: | 1 |
| Next Route: | 5 |
The M4 is a north–south metropolitan route in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality and partially in the KwaDukuza Local Municipality, South Africa.[1] It runs from the N2 at the defunct Durban International Airport to Ballito via the Durban Central Business District (CBD) and uMhlanga. The sections between the airport and the southern edge of the CBD, and between the northern edge of the CBD and the exit to uMhlanga are classified as freeway. On the section from the southern edge of the CBD (where the freeway ends) to the Bram Fischer Street/Soldier's Way junction, the M4 is cosigned with the R102.
The M4 begins at an interchange with the N2 highway (Durban Outer Ring Road) and the R102 road adjacent to the old Durban International Airport & AFB Durban (just east of Umlazi). It begins by going north-north-east for 12 kilometres as the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Highway (formerly Southern Freeway[2]), parallel to the R102, to reach the Durban Central Business District near the Port of Durban, where it stops being a highway and makes a left and a right turn to join the R102 and be co-signed with it through the city centre.
While co-signed with the R102, it is Julius Nyerere Street northwards and Market Street southwards (one-way streets). Just after passing under the N3 highway on the western side of the CBD, the M4/R102 turn eastwards and become Johannes Nkosi Street eastwards and David Webster Street westwards (one-way streets).
At the Umgeni Road junction, the R102 becomes Umgeni Road northwards while the M4 remains facing eastwards (still one-way streets; KE Masinga Road eastwards and Bram Fischer Road westwards). Just after meeting the M12 by the Kingsmead Stadium, the M4 turns northwards to become Stalwart Simelane Street. It goes northwards for 40 kilometres, becoming Ruth First Highway (formerly Northern Freeway) after the M17 intersection, bypassing the Moses Mabhida Stadium and passing through Durban North (where Virginia Airport is located) before passing through uMhlanga Rocks, Tongaat Beach and Westbrook as the Leo Boyd Highway. After Westbrook, it exits the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality and reaches Ballito, where it makes a left turn onto Ballito Drive and meets the N2 highway again. It ends shortly thereafter at another junction with the R102 near Compensation.
The section of the M4 in La Mercy, where it crosses the Mdloti River, was damaged by the 2022 KwaZulu-Natal floods.[3] [4] The South African National Defence Force helped in the rebuilding of the bridge. The bridge was reopened on 10 July 2022.[5]
The section of the M4 by Tongaat Beach (Boys Town) was also washed away by the 2022 KwaZulu-Natal floods.[6] [7] It was reopened on 26 August 2022.
The section of the M4 crossing the Tongaat River was also damaged by the floods.[8] A contractor was appointed by the National Roads Agency to repair the bridge in July 2023[9] [10] and it was scheduled to be opened to traffic on 19 December 2023.[11] [12] It officially opened on 14 December 2023.[13] [14] [15]