M1 (Durban)

The M1 is a metropolitan route in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa, linking Pinetown to Mobeni in Durban via Chatsworth.

Metropolitan route M1 shield
Metropolitan route M1
Route information
Maintained by eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality
Length25.7 km (16.0 mi)
Major junctions
North-west end M13 / M31 in Pinetown
Major intersections
South-east end R102 in Mobeni, Durban
Location
CountrySouth Africa
Highway system
 → M4

Route

The M1 officially starts at the M13 interchange (Exit 19) with the M31 Josiah Gumede Road, west of the Pinetown Central Business District (CBD) as Henry Pennington Road (previously Richmond Road). It proceeds southwards past the suburbs of Ashley, Surprise Farm, Alexander Park and Westmead before meeting the N3 highway (to Durban and Pietermaritzburg) at the Exit 23 interchange.[1]

The M1 proceeds to turn in a southwesterly direction traversing through the suburbs of Mariannhill Park, Mariannhill, Mariannheights and Mariannridge before meeting the Old Richmond Road (to Eston and Richmond). It then proceeds to traverse the suburbs of Nsiswakazi (where it bends eastwards), St Wendolins Ridge, Phumphele, Savannah Park and Mawelewele (where it bends southwards) before leaving Pinetown and entering Chatsworth.[1]

The M1 enters Chatsworth as a single-carriageway freeway named Higginson Highway, passing over the Moorcross Drive/Moorton Drive interchange and thereafter heading in an east-south-east direction.[2][3] Shortly after, it splits into a dual carriageway, passing over the Moorcross Drive/Arena Park Drive interchange, the Shallcross Road interchange, north of Chatsworth's CBD, the Astral Drive/Florence Nightingale Drive interchange and the 42nd Avenue/Lenny Naidu Drive interchange. After 42nd Avenue, the M1 ends a freeway and intersects with Havenside Drive before leaving Chatsworth to enter Durban in the suburb of Mobeni Heights. In Mobeni Heights, it intersects Mobeni Heights Drive before intersecting the N2 highway (to KwaDukuza and Port Shepstone) at the Exit 154 interchange. After the N2, it proceeds into the industrial suburb of Mobeni West, ending at the intersection with the R102 South Coast Road.[1]

History

The Higginson Highway was named for a leader of the Durban City Co-Operation Housing Committee that encouraged the relocation of Indian people from white-only areas of Durban to Chatsworth, along the highway's corridor.[4] There is a community-led effort to rename the highway to instead honour Amichand Rajbansi, an Indian leader in the community.[5]

The Higginson Highway is known for the numerous fatal accidents that happen on the road on a reoccurring basis. Some local residents attribute this to a ghost named "Sheila", thought to be a woman that hitchhikes on the road that may have died in one of the accidents,[6] or may have committed suicide by running into traffic.[7] A 2014 movie The Curse of Highway Sheila addressed this legend.[8][9]

References
  1. Google (29 November 2022). "M1 · Alexander Park, Pinetown, South Africa" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  2. Ngcoya, Zama. "Taxi accident on M1 Higginson Highway leaves several people injured". Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  3. Google (30 November 2022). "M1 (Durban)" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  4. "How Higginson Highway got its name". Chatsworth Rising Sun. 22 July 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  5. "Petition launched for rename of Higginson Highway". Chatsworth Rising Sun. 17 September 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  6. "Sheila's myth still haunts 'hell' highway". Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  7. Thambiran, Vivaga (5 October 2021). "Highway Sheila continues to 'haunt' motorists". Chatsworth Rising Sun.
  8. "Highway Sheila: Have you heard about Higginson's famous ghost?". 23 March 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  9. "Durban's most famous apparition gets her movie". Retrieved 30 November 2022.

Further reading
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