Coedmore Bridge repairs begin
Councillor Gavin Hegter says this has been a huge inconvenience for residents as it was one of two entrance points in the area.
THE Coedmore Bridge, which washed away in the April floods last year, has left a gap in many Queensburgh residents’ commutes. Now, nearly a year later, the process of rebuilding the bridge has finally begun as authority has been granted to call for tenders for the construction.
Ward 64 councillor Gavin Hegter told Queensburgh News that funds for the new bridge were made available from the National Treasury.
“The bridge was washed away in the April floods. It was about 80 years old and withstood the elements until then,” said Hegter.
He added that the broken bridge has left residents high and dry.
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“It’s been a huge inconvenience for residents as the bridge was one of just two entrance points to Yellowwood Park. That route is used as a commuter route for a lot of people travelling to and from Queensburgh and farther afield. It’s resulted in a lot of additional costs for commuters, in addition to the frustrations of going through South Coast Road, which is heavily congested with trucks,” he said.
While the rebuilding process has begun, commuters still have a lengthy wait ahead of them before the bridge is restored.
“The project will have to follow the City’s procurement policy and go though the tender process. If all goes according to plan, work will start in the second quarter of the next financial year – in August or September. I do not have information yet on the duration of the construction process, but it will probably be about a year,” said Hegter.
The new bridge features a dual carriageway. “The original bridge was a single carriageway. The new bridge is being designed as a dual carriageway, although there will only be one-lane access from the Seaview side of the bridge, to limit movement of large trucks. Engineers confirmed that they would build a dual carriageway bridge because the cost is negligible,” said Hegter.
While there is currently a gravel road near the bridge, this is not open to the public.
“The dirt track was put in by Transnet, who have an access point there to service the railway. This track should not be used by the public,” said Hegter.
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