R38 (South Africa)


The R38 is a provincial route in South Africa that connects Standerton with Kaapmuiden via Bethal and Barberton. It is main route through the province of Mpumalanga.

Route

The R38 begins in the north of Standerton, north-east of the Grootdraai Dam. It begins as a fork off the R39, heading north then north-east and enters the town of Bethal from the south close to the Emzinoni township and becomes Anderson Street. It winds through Bethal first as Percy de Kok Street then leaves the town eastwards as Jubulani Selepe Street. It junctions with the R35 in East Bethal before heading north-east out of the town. It crosses the Viskuile and Olifants rivers in it journey northwards before entering the town of Hendrina from the west. Here the road becomes one of the town's main thoroughfares called Beukes Street before crossing the main road of Church Street.
The road leaves the town in an easterly direction crossing the Little Olifants River and much later the Vaalwaterspruit. South-west of Carolina, the road ends at a t-junction with the R36. The R38 continues north east into Carolina crossing the Boesmanspruit and becomes Kerk Street. It then turns right into Voortrekker Street where it is cosigned and heads roughly east before splitting from the R33 which heads south while the R38 continues east and then north-east to Badplaas. The road bypasses the north end of Badplaas, intersecting with the R541 and leaves the town in a north-easterly direction crossing the Seekoeispruit. The R541 eventually heads northwards while the R38 continues north-east skirting the south end of the Vygeboom Dam and the Komati River. In continues east until the road ends north-east of Barberton when it ends in a t-junction with the R40 where it is cosigned.
The R38 resumes in the suburb of Barberton Ext 6 as Sheba Road and heads northwards through the village Caledonian skirting the Mountainlands Nature Reserve to its east before turning in an easterly direction then heading northwards and ends as t-junction with the N4 just south of Matsulu.