The Sandton Chronicle has reported on the closure of the Belgrave bridge in Bryanston, and community members have had mixed responses.
Read also: Belgrave Road affected by rain
In light of these opinions, Ward 103 councillor Vincent Earp shared the engineering report that was compiled. The contents of this report clearly explain why the bridge needs to be closed for safety purposes.
The report states, “[The development and engineering consultant] was instructed by Joburg Roads Agency to carry out the bridge inspection on [24 August] in order to ascertain the extent of the damages and determine the cause of the flooding and the state of the bridge…
“This report was prepared to highlight the conditions of the bridge structures and the conclusions drawn from the visual assessments of the bridge.”
Read also: Belgrave Bridge closure
After the inspection, it was found that the Belgrave Bridge was designed as an ‘over-topping road bridge over Bramfontein Spruit trail’. The report made a strong statement and concluded, “The bridge over-tops frequently and has become one of the deadliest bridges in Johannesburg [and] the recent accident that happened at this low-lying bridge was 5 August.”
Read also: Bridge must fall
The report proposed a few solutions to the problem. “[An] issue that arises from the situation at hand is that the single-lane bridge was designed for over-topping, and putting handrails or barriers at the sides to make it safe will only make it more dangerous, as more debris will be clogged [or] stuck during heavy rains, forcing the barriers or the handrails to collapse, putting people’s lives at risk.”
The suggested solution involved the placement of visible traffic signs alerting motorists to be more careful when crossing, as the bridge is merely 4m wide. This only provides enough space for one car or truck to cross. “During heavy rains or when the bridge is flooded, alternative routes such as Bryanston Drive can be used to gain access between the two areas, being Duxberry and Bryanston.”
The report clearly stated that the structure of the bridge is in poor condition. “The bridge must be closed for public use because it is not safe. The section of the bridge which has scouring (what is this), needs to be attended [to] very urgently to make the bridge safe. The area around and on the bridge must have new, proper road markings; and all the road signs around the bridge must be erected and maintained at all times.” It also recommended that 30mm high bollards be constructed along the edges.
According to the report, the financial implications are, unfortunately, very high. The cost of making the bridge safe was calculated at R1 million and the cost of constructing a new bridge was calculated at R25 million.
