N3 Eastern Bypass (South Africa)
The N3 Eastern Bypass is a section of the Johannesburg Ring Road that forms a beltway around the city of Johannesburg, South Africa, as part of the N3. The first section of the freeway opened in 1971, from Buccleuch to the interchanged with Main Reef Road in Germiston. This is one reason why Germiston is listed as the southbound destination from the Buccleuch to Geldenhuys Interchanges, rather than Heidelberg. The remaining section from Main Reed Road to Black Reef Road, which included the construction of the Geldenhuys Interchange, was opened in 1977, linking the Eastern Bypass with the N3 freeway to Heidelberg. The interchange at Main Reef Road was removed.
Much of the highway forms a border between Johannesburg and Ekhuruleni. From the south, the Eastern Bypass begins at the Elands Interchange, where it merges with the N12 freeway. It ends at the Buccleuch Interchange, where it merges with the N1 Western Bypass and M1 freeways. Other exits include Rand Airport Road (Southbound only), M2 Motorway Johannesburg/Germiston, Van Buuren Road, R24 OR Tambo Int Airport / N12 eMalahleni, Linksfield Road, Modderfontein Road, London Road, and Marlboro Road.
The Eastern Bypass forms part of the Gauteng e-Toll Project.