Plans to rehabilitate the low-lying bridge on Bridge Road to ensure the safety of the Buccleuch community are being finalised.
Following the quick response from the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) as reported in Bridge is cleared, Sandton Chronicle, week ending 20 October, Ward 32 councillor, Bongani Nkomo has confirmed that the agency was in the planning stages.
“The JRA is committed to finalising the rehabilitation of the bridge,” said Nkomo. “The detailed bridge rehabilitation designs are in progress and we anticipate to have these completed by the end August 2018.”
He added that the tender would be advertised and following the legislated 21 days advertisement period and estimated evaluation and adjudication period, the contract should be awarded by end of April next year.
“As a result, construction is likely to commence around May 2018 subject to successful recruitment processes and stakeholder engagement. The construction period is estimated at nine months,” said Nkomo.
Bertha Peters-Scheepers, operations manager: marketing and communications for the roads agency, said the expected completion date was too early to determine and only once detailed designs have been approved and a contractor’s project plan accepted, will a date be finalised.
“The status is that a meeting was held with the consulting engineers last week, and JRA has requested changes to the designs,” said Scheepers.
“We anticipate receiving these revised designs within a fortnight. JRA is still in the process of appointing a contractor for the project, however, at this stage, no construction can commence until we have received a water use licence from the Department of Water Affairs.
“This application process is underway, and we anticipate that rehabilitation work on the bridge will begin early 2018.”
Scheepers stated that the traffic situation would be communicated to the community once construction began.
Nkomo added that he had been notified that a three-month rehabilitation of the Jukskei River will also take place by the City of Johannesburg. A recent cleanup was conducted under Mayor Herman Mashaba’s monthly programme, A Re Sebetseng.
“This involved Citizen Relations and Urban Management, Pikitup, [Metro police], residents and Environmental Health,” he said. “The cleanup involved the removal of illegal traders, picking up of litter and the removal of bulk waste. The biggest problem is the vagrants in the area, they contribute to the majority if not all of the refuse. The illegal dumping of rubble is also a challenge.”
Nkomo added that residents could get involved with the monthly A Re Sebetseng campaign.
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