A wage dispute involving the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) leads to the full closure of Johannesburg’s M1 Freeway in both directions at Smit Street, cutting a key link between the CBD and Braamfontein. The shutdown prompts diversions for northbound and southbound traffic, shifting vehicles onto secondary roads and nearby corridors.
Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officers manage the redirection toward routes including the M2, M11 (Victoria Avenue), and the N1 western bypass to keep traffic moving around the central business district. One outlet also specifies bypass routes from areas such as Sandton and Rosebank via Empire Road and Jan Smuts Avenue and mentions rerouting northbound traffic through alternatives like Booysens Road or via the M2 East and Joe Slovo Drive.
Across coverage, the story is framed as a transport disruption driven by protest activity and wage-related conflict, with emphasis on expected congestion and delays along the M1 corridor around peak times. The differing details largely concern the extent of congestion and the specific diversion routes described.
