‘Municipality has no funds to replace Coedmore Avenue bridge’

MORE than four months have passed since the Coedmore Avenue Bridge in Yellowwood Park,  washed away during the floods in April, and there are not still plans to have it replaced.

Gavin Hegter, the ward 64 councillor, said the delay was due to funds not being allocated by the provincial or national government.

“The estimated cost of building a new bridge is about R26 million, however, eThekwini Municipality does not have the money. The municipality turned to the provincial government, who in turn reached out to national.

“At the time of the floods, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that R1 billion would be made available to rebuild homes and infrastructure that were damaged by the floods, but it has yet to be seen. The provincial government has not received any money from national, so we are still in the same situation more than four months later,” he said.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Extensive damage at Yellowwood Park bridge

Hegter said the municipality is currently in talks with the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral), for assistance.

“Sanral is planning to upgrade the N2, however, they would also have to do community improvement projects, so the municipality is in communication with them to see if they would be able to assist with even part of the construction of a bridge. However, this will depend on their budget,” he said.

Hegter said he was aware of the plight of motorists due to the delays in the bridge being replaced.

“There is definitely a lot of frustration as the bridge was used by motorists from various areas and not just our ward. It also served as an important link route for many years. People are also frustrated as they now have to deal with heavy traffic, extra fuel costs, and time delays.

ALSO READ: Long-awaited upgrades complete on Coedmore bridge

“However, despite the pleas for it to be fixed, the reality is that the municipality does not have money available. Sadly, while a state of disaster was declared after the floods, the government has not come forward, and provided the assistance needed,” he said.

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