The bridge which leads to Sunrise Estates on Fifth Road in Randburg has been dilapidated for the last six years, and reported on for the last two years. Residents at the retirement village fear for their lives as it is the only way to access the complex which is adjacent to Malibongwe Drive. Ward 101 Councillor Dalu Cele expressed dread as he felt he has done all he could do.
The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) inspected the bridge last year on 29 April after they received a complaint on 25 April. The purpose of the inspection was to determine the extent of the damage and the safety of the bridge. The JRA has subsequently been contacted, however, they await correspondence from their infrastructure unit.
The conclusion of the report conducted in April read, “If left unattended to further traffic loading or any extreme live loading on the bridge, the process of collapsing will be much faster than expected as the bridge has already reached its life span.”
The recommendation made in the report was that:
- The current structure is partially closed off/ barricaded as soon as possible. (Safety concerns highlighted in photos, culvert cannot be completely closed off as this is the only access to the residential estate (Sunrise Estate).
- 5th Road major culvert must be prioritised under bridge rehabilitation and replacement.
- Additional funding must be allocated for both visual conditional assessment as well as the bridge rehabilitation and replacement.
Since then, Sunrise Estates find themselves distressed and Cele was equally frustrated. The Ward councillor filmed a video on the scene to post on social media in a response to a two-year back and forth with the JRA.
Pat Esprey, a trustee and supervisor at Sunrise Estates, expressed particular alarm. Esprey highlighted that due to the age of the residents, medical emergencies are bound to happen and with the state of the bridge, this may result in disaster – especially due to Covid-19.
Cele expressed that he has done everything ‘humanly possible’ to fix the matter, however, the JRA said that they do not have the money to fix the eroded, cracked safety hazard almost a year after it was reported. He hoped that his social media activism would send a much-needed message to the JRA.
This is a developing story.
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