N1 finally open to traffic

The Pretoria N1 highway was reopened to traffic at 5.45pm on Thursday, more than 24-hours after a five vehicle pile-up in which a man died and three people were injured, said the city of Tshwane's community safety department.

The need to secure a crane hit during the crash had caused the delay, said spokesman Console Tleane.

He said the upper part of the crane had to be dismantled and no longer posed a danger.

A truck carrying a load of iron rods ploughed into a cement mixer, three other vehicles and the crane when its brakes failed at 5pm on Wednesday.

The truck overturned and caught fire, setting alight wooden structures being used in construction on the Atterbury Road bridge.

Tleane said the road's surface had to be scraped off and relaid because of the damage caused to the tarmac in the crash.

All three north-bound lanes were now open to traffic.

Acknowledging that a number of motorists were frustrated and inconvenienced by the road closure, he said it was their safety which had been the priority and he thanked them for their co-operation and understanding.