A horrific crash on Friday night, 4 December on Pierre Road in Ruimsig exposed the great dangers posed by the concrete barriers blocking the road.
A few minutes before midnight, Netcare 911 responded to a collision on the corner of Pierre Road and Shorts Street after an unsuspecting light motor vehicle driver slammed into the concrete barrier slabs resulting in a rollover.
According to Netcare 911, the adult male sustained serious injuries and was treated on scene by paramedics. Once stabilised, he was transported to hospital for further treatment.
Ward 97 councillor Leah Knott attributed the incident to the lack of proper road closure signage.
“Another car hit the concrete barriers on the collapsed Pierre Road bridge. I have been asking the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) for proper road closure signage for over a year, but there is never any stock,” she said.
With the lack of street lights adding fuel to the fire, Leah said, “The stolen street lightings have been logged with City Power numerous times”.
In November 2018, JRA declared this section of the road unsafe based on the assessments that were done. The need to rehabilitate the major culvert infrastructure across the stream was identified, as the current structure is unsafe for vehicles and pedestrians.
Also read: Major delays in rehabilitating the Pierre Road bridge
However, the Northsider previously reported that budget constraints, flooding caused by rain and failure to obtain consent from a landowner, were among the factors halting progress with this project.
JRA has been approached for further comment about the barrier issue and progress. However, the entity had not responded before we published the story. This is a developing story.
