N7 (South Africa)
National road in South Africa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The N7 is a national route in South Africa that runs from Cape Town northwards through the West Coast and Namaqualand regions to the Namibian border at Vioolsdrif.[1] It is known as the Cape Namibia Road. After crossing the border, it changes designation to B1 and runs north through Windhoek and the north of Namibia.
B1 at the Namibian border at Vioolsdrif | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 The N7 north of Vanrhynsdorp | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by SANRAL | ||||
| Length | 666 km (414 mi) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |  N1 in Cape Town | |||
 N14 at Springbok | ||||
| North end | B1 at the Namibian border at Vioolsdrif | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | South Africa | |||
| Provinces | Western Cape, Northern Cape | |||
| Major cities | ||||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
The N7 national route forms the first section of the Tripoli-Cape Town Highway, which is a proposed link between Cape Town and Tripoli, the capital city of Libya, being developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the African Union.
Route
The N7 begins at a four-way interchange with the N1 national route in Cape Town, adjacent to Acacia Park and Summer Greens, heading northwards. South of this interchange, it is the M7 route of Cape Town (Jakes Gerwel Drive).[1]
The portion of the road within Cape Town is a freeway, but it loses limited-access freeway status shortly after exiting the urban limits at the M12 interchange (Malibongwe Drive). From here, it remains a dual-carriageway and gains limited-access freeway status again at the Melkbosstrand M19 interchange. It remains a limited-access freeway until just after Malmesbury at the R45 intersection. Thereafter, the N7 is a single-carriageway highway with wide paved shoulders to Piekenierskloof Pass and through the Olifants River valley until Clanwilliam.[1]
The rest of the N7 to the Namibian border, through Vredendal and Springbok (where it meets the N14 national route) is a single-carriageway highway with no paved shoulders.[1]
After crossing into Namibia, it becomes the B1 road to Keetmanshoop and Windhoek.
Junctions
Western Cape
| Municipality | Location | km | mi | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Town | Summer Greens | 0 | 0 | — |  M7 Jakes Gerwel Drive, Goodwood |
|
| 0 | 0 | 13A | N1 west, Cape Town |
Signed as exit 13 southbound | ||
| 0 | 0 | 13B | N1 east, Paarl | |||
| Milnerton | 1 | 1 | 14 |  M8 Bosmansdam Road, Milnerton, Edgemead, Bothasig |
||
| 4 | 2 | 17 |  M14 Plattekloof Road, Milnerton, Bothasig |
|||
| Dunoon | 9 | 6 | 22 |  M12 Malibongwe Boulevard, Table View,  M5 Potsdam Road, Milnerton,  M13 Tygerberg Valley Road, Durbanville |
||
| Parklands | 11 | 7 | — |  M48 Vissershok Road, Durbanville |
Closed at-grade intersection[2] | |
| 13 | 8 | — | Van Schoorsdrif Road, Philadelphia | Future interchange; planned opening 2027[2] | ||
| Melkbosstrand | 18 | 11 | 31 |  M19 Melkbosstrand Road, Melkbosstrand |
||
| Philadelphia | 25 | 15 | 39 |  R304 Philadelphia Road, Philadelphia, Stellenbosch, Atlantis |
||
| Swartland | Kalbaskraal | 36 | 22 | 50 | Klein Dassenberg Road, Kalbaskraal, Chatsworth, Atlantis | |
| 38 | 24 | 52 | Rivier Street, Kalbaskraal, Chatsworth | Southbound exit, northbound entrance | ||
| Abbotsdale | 44 | 27 | 59 | Tierfontein Road, Tierfontein | ||
| 48 | 30 | 63 | Bloemendal Road, Abbotsdale | |||
| Malmesbury | 52 | 32 | 65 |  R315 Bokomo Road, Malmesbury, Darling |
||
| 55 | 34 | 68 | Voortrekker Street, Malmesbury | |||
| 58 | 36 | 71 |  R45, Hopefield, Vredenburg, Paarl |
|||
| Moorreesburg | 86 | 53 | — |  R311 east, Riebeek West, Riebeek-Kasteel |
At-grade intersection; Southern end of concurrency with R311 | |
| 86 | 53 | — | R311 west, Moorreesburg, Hopefield |
At-grade intersection; Northern end of concurrency with R311 | ||
| Bergrivier | Piketberg | 110 | 68 | — |  R399, Velddrif |
At-grade intersection |
| 117 | 73 | — |  R365 Long Street, Piketberg, Elands Bay | |||
| 118 | 73 | — |  R44 Kerk Street, Piketberg, Porterville |
At-grade traffic circle | ||
| Cederberg | Citrusdal | 161 | 100 | — |  R303, Citrusdal, Ceres |
At-grade intersection |
| Clanwilliam | 213 | 132 | 225 |  R364, Clanwilliam, Lambert's Bay |
||
| Matzikama | Klawer | 262 | 163 | — |  R363 east, Melkboom |
At-grade intersection; Southern end of concurrency with R363 |
| 268 | 167 | — | R363 west, Klawer, Vredendal |
At-grade intersection; Northern end of concurrency with R363 | ||
| Vanrhynsdorp | 289 | 180 | — |  R27 Van Riebeeck Street, Vanrhynsdorp, Vredendal, Calvinia |
Quadrant interchange | |
| Nuwerus | 356 | 221 | — | R363, Nuwerus, Vredendal |
At-grade intersection | |
| Bitterfontein | 376 | 234 | — |  R358, Pofadder | ||
 N7 continues into the Northern Cape | ||||||
Northern Cape
| Municipality | Location | km | mi | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nama Khoi | Springbok | 548 | 341 | 549 |  R355 Kokerboom Road, Springbok, Kliprand, N14 Voortrekker Street, Pofadder |
|
| 551 | 342 | 551 | Inry Street, Springbok (North) | |||
| Okiep | 555 | 345 | 556 | Goodhouse Street, Okiep, Nababeep | ||
| Steinkopf | 597 | 371 | 609 |  R382, Steinkopf, Port Nolloth |
At-grade intersection | |
| Vioolsdrif | 666 | 414 | Vioolsdrif Border Post | |||
| N7 ends at South Africa–Namibia border; B1 begins | ||||||
