Kilburn Street bridge officially opened
MMC for Transport Clr Kenny Kunene opened Kilburn bridge after it was cordoned off for three years.
The Kilburn Street bridge, which has been cordoned off for nearly three years, has been officially reopened by MMC for Transport, Clr Kenny Kunene alongside Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) CEO Zweli Nyathi, regional director Mlamleli Belot, and JRA board members.
The bridge was partially closed in 2020 due to embankment erosion from a nearby park, which caused the collapse of a corrugated stormwater culvert pipe. Heavy rains in December 2022 further damaged the culvert structure, resulting in the full closure of Celeste Crescent and Syd Dwyer Road and traffic being directed to alternative routes.
According to Kunene, the rehabilitation of this bridge received R32.4m, created about 40 work opportunities, and eight SMMEs were appointed.
“I’m happy that this was done timeously. Usually, projects like this one take time, but we were every hand in ensuring that we completed this bridge in record time. We launched this project in September 2023, and we ensured that we employed people from around the area to assist the SMMEs.
“A lot of technical aspects went into this; two big culverts have been built to ensure that during heavy rains water flows smoothly and it does not flood,” said Kunene during his address.
This bridge caused a lot of inconvenience and isolation to businesses, schools and residential spaces and Ward 84 councillor Johannes Goosen expressed his heartfelt satisfaction with the successful completion of the bridge project.
“The more is more than just a physical structure connecting two points. For me, it is about how it connects communities and fosters urban and economic development as well as social cohesion,” Goosen said.
In conclusion, Goosen urged the community to take ownership and responsibility of the newly completed bridge and emphasised the importance of protecting, securing, and maintaining its cleanliness.
