Billboard woes far from over
"One cannot help but wonder if proper calculations were done and whether or not wind loading was taken into account when putting up the bridges."
A local engineer has questioned the decision made by the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) to grant permission for over 10 billboards to be put up along major highways around Bedfordview.
The engineer, who did not want to be named, lives along Riley Road.
He said the speed at which the boards were put up is a concerning.
“One cannot help but wonder if proper calculations were done and whether or not wind loading was taken into account when putting up the bridges,” said the resident.
He has called on the EMM to take the billboards down.
“If they don’t want a disaster to take place then they need to address this now before those things collapse,” he said.
Some of the billboards recently put up include the following bridges; Nicol, Boeing, Linksfield, Kloof and Kraft.
A billboard has also been recently put up on the Concorde Road off-ramp along the R24.
On March 16, the NEWS reported that the South African Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) has objected to the EMM’s approval to have the billboards put up.
“Sanral is concerned about the approvals that were granted by the EMM City Planning (department) to two companies to put up structures for the purpose of displaying outdoor advertisements on the bridges that are anchored within the national road reserve and are owned by Sanral,” read a document which is in the NEWS’ possession.
The agency has also called for the removal of the structures and for the EMM to withdraw the 16 approvals granted for billboards to be put up.
Sanral said, “It is clear the EMM, in granting these approvals is in contravention of its bylaws. Sanral hereby requires the municipality to withdraw the approvals granted on Sanral-owned bridges. The council must instruct the advertising company to remove these structures as well as advertising signs and make good the damage caused to the bridge structure within 30 days from the date of this communication.”
The EMM’s spokesperson, Mr Themba Gadebe, said the EMM gave permission for the billboards to be put up in terms of the provisions of the Ekurhuleni Police Services Bylaws (2003), reading together with a regulation of the South African National Roads Agency Limited (known as regulation 2000).
