Johannesburg Roads Agency declares Kilburn Street bridge rebuild set to begin in September
Businesses at Kilburn Street Shopping Centre still facing at least 12 months of reduced foot traffic.
Little sign of progress at the Kilburn Street hole had left the community questioning municipal urgency.
Businesses, residents, and motorists have been left isolated and inconvenienced after heavy rains dealt the final blow to an already deteriorating strip of road. Severe embankment erosion caused damage to the stormwater pipe several years ago and the December rains caused the culvert structure to collapse. The resulting road closure has created a lonely cul-de-sac deprived of any valuable connection.
Motorists spend extra on fuel and kilometres on the roads and residents have had once-quiet streets turned into main routes whose surfaces are crumbling under the extra weight. Still ensuring life in the parking lot are parents of a school bordering the hole which has had six months of congested drop-offs and pick-ups. Additional long-term effects on the back pocket are the lack of passing traffic frequenting the centre.
• Also read: Johannesburg Roads Agency estimate at least R15m to repair Kilburn Street bridge
The economic impact on nearby businesses has been considerable. Gary Hulme has owned a popular pizza franchise in the centre for seven years and notes how this year has seen an almost 30% decrease in revenue. The centre’s hardware store has been owned by the family for over four decades and custodian Pieter van Hoogdalem states turnover is down 20% from last year.
Van Hoogdalem acknowledged how competition is fierce and the centre’s secluded location makes more conveniently situated stores more attractive. Hulme concurred, stressing how each store benefits from the others as customers satisfy their needs at one location.
“One hand washes the other. When customers grab groceries they come by and get a pizza or hardware supplies,” said Hulme, while Van Hoogdalem listed a few stores in the centre which have had to close their doors.
• Also read: Residential dirt road in Honeydew almost inaccessible despite two-decade old promise of tarred surface
Both owners could sleep easier as Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) gave them the feedback they had been waiting for. JRA released a media advisory on July 12 stating that construction on the Kilburn Street bridge is set to begin in September. JRA envisions needing less than 12 months and approximately R18m to complete the project and has given a completion date of July 2024. However, No information was given on repairing any of the crumbling detour roads.
Before the news of the imminent construction, both owners had been weighing up the risks of a long-term closure of their businesses.
“It was a frustrating thing being left in the dark. The news is a big relief but we hope now that they stick to the dates,” said Van Hoogdalem. With work to commence in just two months, the fingers of businesspeople, motorists and school-goers will be tightly crossed for an efficient remedy.
