by a private concessionaire, the N3 Toll Concession. A few kilometres after the N11 interchange, the N3 is tolled once again; the dual-carriageway freeway also ending at this point. From here, the N3 ascends the South African plateau via Van Reenen's Pass; at the top of the pass, the N3 crosses into the Free State. Free State After crossing into the Free State, the N3 heads to Harrismith, where the N5 leaves it (providing a route to Bloemfontein and Cape Town via the N1). The N3 then heads to the north, and passes the town of Warden and heads towards Villiers, where a toll is located right before the R26 Villiers off-ramp (Wilge Toll Plaza). Immediately after Villers, the N3 crosses the Vaal River and enters Mpumalanga. Here, it becomes a dual carriageway again and remains one for its remainder. Mpumalanga The N3 then heads through the south-western tip of Mpumalanga in the direction of Heidelberg. Soon after crossing the Vaal River, the N3 meets the R54 road, which provides access to Vereeniging in the west. After 23 km, the N3 bypasses Grootvlei. Just before reaching Heidelberg, the N3 has its last tollgate (De Hoek Toll Plaza); this also marks the point where the N3 crosses into Gauteng. Gauteng The N3 then continues north & bypasses Heidelberg before heading towards Johannesburg. The section maintained by the N3 Toll Concession ends at the R23 interchange south of the Heidelberg town centre. On approaching Johannesburg, the N3 passes the townships of Katlehong and Vosloorus before bypassing Alberton. At the R554/R103 (Old Barn Road; Heidelberg Road) off-ramp in Alberton, the N3 becomes an e-toll Highway (with open road tolling) and remains as one for its remainder. Next, the N3 meets the N17 Highway at the Rand Airport Interchange near Rand Airport (each ramp onto the N17 has a tollgate). Almost immediately afterwards, the N12 (the Southern Bypass portion of the Johannesburg Ring Road) merges with the N3 at the Elands Interchange, with the N3 then becoming the Eastern Bypass portion of the Johannesburg Ring Road. From here, it follows much of the borderline between the City of Johannesburg and the City of Ekurhuleni. The N3/N12 concurrency proceeds northwards from the Elands Interchange and bypasses the city of Germiston (Capital of Ekurhuleni) to the west. It reaches the Geldenhuys Interchange, where it forms an interchange with the M2 Highway (Francois Oberholzer Freeway), which provides