Talk:N8 (South Africa)

Section between Grobershoops and Kimberley

Seems this section of the R64 (Northern Cape) has recently been upgraded, promoted to national road and incorporated into the N8. Can't find a ref for it yet. --NJR_ZA (talk) 14:43, 22 July 2009 (UTC)

I found a ref in SANRAL's "road condition report". - htonl (talk) 15:26, 22 July 2009 (UTC)

I saw that and it definitely states that the road in now N8, but it does not state when the R64 was upgraded and redesignated. It must have been very recently, both my 2008 map books still give it as the R64, with the N8 only starting in Kimberley. I do note that it is referred to in many places on the net as N8 now. Am heading up that way next month. --NJR_ZA (talk) 15:35, 22 July 2009 (UTC)

You could try to find the notice in the Government Gazette in which the DoT declares the road as a national road. That would give a date. I don't think the Groblershoop-Kimberley section has been physically upgraded, though; I think it was just renumbered. (The Kimberley-Bloemfontein road was upgraded; in fact I think they built it on a whole new routing.)

My experience with map books is that they are often well out of date even when they are published. The AA fold-out maps are a bit better, but even they can be about a year out of date. Somewhere I have a copy of the most recent AA map of South Africa, so when I find it I'll check what it shows. - htonl (talk) 15:43, 22 July 2009 (UTC)

Here it is - 31 March 2006 is the official date; when they actually started signposting it I don't know. - htonl (talk) 15:49, 22 July 2009 (UTC)

Ah, thanks --NJR_ZA (talk) 15:55, 22 July 2009 (UTC)