Johannesburg entities address the situation at Jukskei Park’s Platina Street bridge
Joburg Water, JRA and Joburg City Parks and Zoo were approached for further comment on the recent heavy rains that caused damaged to the bridge on Platina Bridge in Jukskei Park.
Residents concerned about the stability of the Platina Street bridge in Jukskei Park have been told to hang tight.
Although the channels of the bridge are blocked by debris, which increases the risk of flooding and residents fear structural damage, Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) spokesperson Mosa Makhalima said not much can be done until the water has subsided.
The water levels rose and the bridge flooded during the heavy rainfall across the province on March 7. “JRA can only come up with the way forward after further assessment of the bridge capacity has been made.”
Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo spokesperson Jenny Moodley said emergency teams were deployed to the site to remove some of the debris. “It’s still a work in progress, and City Parks will continue with the removal of branches. The cleaning of culverts and channels remains with the JRA. Where it’s due to log jams, City Parks will assist,” she said.
When asked what JRA will do to keep the bridge’s channels from being blocked in future, Makhalima said proactive maintenance had been done before the summer rains. Last year, however, after waiting for the authorities to act, residents got stuck in and cleared the bridge of debris themselves.
ALSO READ: Blocked channels on Platina Street bridge in Jukskei Park a root to flooding from recent rains
When asked for comment, Johannesburg Water said they dispatched a team to deal with the pipes damaged in the flood.
Spokesperson Nolwazi Dhlamini said that the damage to the bridge needed to be repaired before permanent pipe fixture could take place. “It is advisable not to connect the line while the bridge is damaged and still needs to be repaired. The damaged pipe will be repaired once the bridge has been repaired,” she said.
“The pipework can be correctly mounted along the bridge as it was previously. The bridge design and repair should allow for ducts for the pipework to pass through.”
However, she said that the current pipe is isolated and will need to be moved to a safe point while the bridge is repaired, so that it can be reused.
Joburg Water says it provided water trucks to the affected residents until the repair team completed a temporary fix to enable water to be fed to the affected areas.
“We appeal to residents to refrain from venturing anywhere near the city’s watercourses during heavy rains. There have been a number of reports of flash flooding, which is a potential danger to life and property,” cautioned Moodley.
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