WATCH: Shocking state of Illovo River steel bridge

Despite promises of building a new bridge in the future, Lower Illovo residents and business people doubt the existing steel bridge that spans the Illovo River will last that long.

The steel bridge along the provincial road P197, which lies between the border of ward 103 and ward 105, is in serious despair.

Steel girders are completely sheared off from the structure and these shake alarmingly with the passing of each vehicle.

The roadway is completely disintegrated and only coated with mud and sand. When this is washed away by rain, vehicles drive on the steel beams.

There are also gaping holes in the roadbed where the metal has rusted away and many girders hang precariously from the roof section where they have rusted away.

Motorists who are forced to use the bridge fear its collapse is imminent and could happen sooner rather than later.

As it is a provincial road and bridge, the maintenance falls to the provincial Department of Transport (DOT) in Pitermartizburg.

Although the bridge falls under Cllr Vusumuzi Mbanjwa (ward 103) and Cllr Ayanda Ndlovu (ward 105), residents have complained about the dangers to ward 97 councillor, Andre Beetge who has availed himself to get confirmation on when a new bridge will be build to resolve the issue.

“The deteriorating condition of the bridge, largely as a result of heavily-laden trucks from the adjacent sand mining operations, is a well-reported and known fact,” said Cllr Beetge. “It also forms the main crossing from Amanzimtoti and Umbumbulu to Vulamehlo, Umgababa, Mvumi and the recently-established municipal landfill site.

We have in the past requested inspections of the structure and are able to confirm that a visual inspection was conducted by the South depot last week with a request for an in-depth structural inspection by engineers, as they share concerns regarding the safety of the structure.

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This to the point where they also require confirmation on the safety of repairing potholes as part of temporary maintenance and/or weight restrictions on the further use thereof by trucks.”

Plans to construct a concrete bridge parallel to the existing one is still in the planning stages. Surveyors inspected the bridge late last year and it’s believed the same engineers who constructed the Umkomaas bridge will build the new one, but no time frame has been forthcoming from DoT.

Cllr Beetge said although construction could commence as soon as February 2018, no written confirmation has as yet been received to this effect.

He advised those who feel unsure about their own or other’s safety should consider using the alternative route via the Umgababa off-ramp to reach their destination.