Van Reenen's Pass
Van Reenen's Pass
Elevation1,690m
Traversed byN3
LocationVan Reenen, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
RangeDrakensberg
Coordinates28°22′12″S 29°22′12″E / 28.37000°S 29.37000°E / -28.37000; 29.37000

Van Reenen's Pass is a pass through the Drakensberg mountains in South Africa. The N3 freeway, the main road between Durban and Johannesburg, was constructed through the pass with the northern end of the pass lying at the border of the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State. The village of Van Reenen sits atop the pass and the two nearest towns are Ladysmith and Harrismith, situated in the respective KwaZulu-Natal and Free State provinces.

History

The pass is named after Frans van Reenen who owned the farm Sandspruit at foot of the pass.[1] In 1856, he helped plan a route for a road through the pass.[1] The object of the pass was to open up trade between Natal and the Orange Free State.[2]: 387  Van Reenen showed the engineers the route he used to move his livestock to the interior.[2]: 387  A railroad followed in 1891.[2]: 387  From 1953 to 1956, the existing road over the pass was rebuilt.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 Raper, Peter E; Moller, Lucie A; du Plessis, Theodorus L (2014). Dictionary of Southern African Place Names. Jonathan Ball Publishers. ISBN 9781868425501.
  2. 1 2 3 Illustrated guide to Southern Africa. Internet Archive. Reader's Digest Association South Africa. 1980. ISBN 978-0-620-04650-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. ↑ Potgieter, D. J. (1973). Standard Encyclopedia of Southern Africa. Internet Archive. p. 374.
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