Association seeks help with the continually flooding bridge

Whenever it is about to rain, Linda Gildenhuys and her team from the Sunninghill Community Ratepayers Association are forced to monitor the low-lying bridge on Witkoppen Road in Sunninghill.

That is because it starts flooding to such an extent that it poses a danger for motorists.

She said this has now become ‘routine’ and that they have accepted they need to intervene. “That is why the association closed the road on January 29 – due to floods”.

“The last incident where a woman was swept away in her car by the flash flood waters has left us devastated. It was so unfortunate. When we were rushing to close the bridge, it was already too late. However, we did everything we could on our side to assist with searching for her. We provided the rescue teams with food as they were busy looking for her.”

“The recent rain took us by surprise, and no one could have predicted it would be that strong. So, we had to block off the road with two of our security vehicles so that no one can drive past because it is not safe.”

She said the main problem with the bridge is that it is not as high as it should be, and it gets worse every year.

“If it were not for the association, many devastating stories could have been linked to the bridge,” she added.

“People tend to drive over low-lying bridges with water on them because of pure ignorance. Most people have not seen a river coming down in flood and do not understand the power of water. They see it as a ‘bit of water’, especially if they drive an SUV.

“They cannot judge the speed or force of the water and do not see what is building up. When a river comes down in a flood it does not build up gradually with time to spare. It builds up quickly with huge force.”

She said huge concrete bollards that need a crane to lift them have in the past been placed on the bridge to protect motorists, however, they were also washed off the bridge into the river.

“Most are under the impression that if it is not raining hard in the area then the bridge will be safe. They do not realise that it is not the rain that causes our bridge to flood but the rain upstream. The day the unfortunate lady lost her life, it was hardly raining. There had however been a cloud burst further up the river.”

The bridge is being blocked because people don’t want to waste time turning around and taking an alternative route.

“So, they continue to drive through the bridge because another route adds five minutes to their journey or possibly more traffic. They don’t want that, and those five minutes could save their lives.”

“We are trying so hard to get help from the City or Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) so this can be resolved.

“I have no tips on how to drive through water, just don’t do it. Respect the power and force of nature. You are someone’s daughter, son, father, or mother. You have people that depend on you and love you. Why would you want to put them through the trauma? Why would you gamble with death?”

The spokesperson for the JRA Bertha Peters-Scheepers said, “Witkoppen Road from Malibongwe Drive to Maxwell Drive is a provincial road, with a section of it, Bowling Ave to Maxwell Drive constructed on private land. This road therefore is not within JRA’s jurisdiction.”

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