The Spring Road bridge in Weltevreden Park is currently a massive trench as construction work has finally begun.
This bridge was closed off in 2017 after its integrity to support vehicles and people could not be guaranteed following damage to the structure of the bridge and the surrounding river banks caused by heavy rains.
It took exactly two years for any work on the bridge to be undertaken due to municipal procedures. However, according to Ward 126 councillor, David Brand, the entire operations seems to running on schedule at the moment, although he hinted that there may be some delays.
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“The project is running on schedule. It’s supposed to be completed between June and July next year. The only problem is that we haven’t had any rain yet, and when it comes, it’s going to be a problem working on the site, because the water levels can rise by as much as two to three metres sometimes,” he explained.
Brand also dispelled the rumour that Rand Water had had a hand in the recent water interruption, which left residents disgruntled. “The water had to be turned off for most of the day because the contractor had to reroute a water pipe, and electricity and fibre cables in order to execute his job properly. It had nothing to do with Rand Water – they are only working on the pipeline project. This is a Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) project,” he clarified.
While the contractor might have dug very close to some properties, Brand said property owners were engaged and were very helpful with everything. “The property owners are fine. One of the property walls has been demolished as it sticks out near the river. The owner was told that a piece of the property had to be worked on otherwise it was going to collapse. Once they’ve finished working on it, they will rebuild his face-brick wall responsibly,” he explained.
In contrast to the initial closure, which prohibited both vehicular and pedestrian traffic from using the bridge, a pedestrian bridge has been erected so that people on foot can at least get by.
Brand has also encouraged residents with any questions relating to the project to contact the Community Liaison Officer (CLO), Quinton Zulu, on 082 816 5760.
