The bridge on this particular road, linking communities such as Tekwane South, Entokozweni and KaNyamazane, was damaged recently in the heavy rain the Lowveld and parts of the province had experienced.
These communities have since been cut off, forcing motorists to use the N4 to travel to Mbombela or other destinations outside their own areas.
READ: Update: Sinkhole finally causes bridge to collapse: the morning after
Confirming the construction of the low bridge was the council’s spokesperson, Joseph Ngala, who exclusively told Lowvelder Express that designs of the low bridge have already been made and a tender process was under way.
“It has always been our plan that we must have a low bridge linking these communities especially for instances like these. And with the current situation, we have decided to speed up the process and commence with the construction soon to allow these communities to travel with ease. This will also give a breather to the already overstretched N4. So, yes, a bypass is coming and is coming very soon. Construction will start soon,” confirmed Ngala.
He also revealed that the construction of the main bridge that was washed away may take up to six months to fi nish and this could prove disastrous for motorists and the affected communities.
READ: Sinkhole finally causes bridge to collapse – as locals warned
“Our people cannot afford to wait that long for the main bridge to be constructed. Already they are frustrated that they have to pay more and are always late for work, because the N4 is also under construction. This bypass will help us in many ways,” continued Ngala.
After these areas had been cut off following the collapse of the main bridge, community members approached the City for help with material to build a temporary bypass bridge.
“The current temporary bridge was a community initiative and we could not stop them, because we understood the pressure they were under. We helped them with material and a TLB to help put up a temporary bridge. But we said to them safety precautions should always be adhered to. Yes, we cannot take responsibility for the temporary bridge, but our residents’ safety is our concern. It is for this reason that we would like to appeal to motorists to be safe and always use that temporary bridge when it’s safe to cross. But yes, the municipality is continuing with the bypass that will be safe and certified for traffic use. And we will try as a City to move with speed and finish the bypass in no time,” committed Ngala.
