Bedfordview bridge rail damaged as heavy trucks worsen road safety concerns
A damaged bridge rail on Boeing Road West has raised concerns in Bedfordview, with Ward 20 Councillor Jill Humphreys blaming heavy trucks for ongoing road destruction.
The rail on the bridge at Boeing Road West and Van Der Linde Road hangs in a dangerous balance.
Ward 20 Councillor Jill Humphreys has raised concerns about the large trucks that pass through the urban roads in Bedfordview.
There is a possibility that one of the trucks had trouble turning and then smashed the bridge’s rail.
“There is no place for the huge trucks on these urban roads, and they get stuck all over the place. They are too big, they cannot turn, so they drive over the infrastructure.
ALSO READ: Councillor Jill Humphreys reflects on challenges and milestones of her ward in 2024
“They cannot go around the traffic circle; they will just go over it and smash everything. We have our stormwater drains, and when they turn a corner, they just smash them,” said the councillor.
She added that one of those concrete panels installed on the stormwater drains costs R7 000.
Humphreys said, “I have requested signage which shows the tonnage of trucks allowed on the road.
“We also need road markings and EMPD to enforce and monitor, and that’s the only way we can actually do anything about stopping the trucks from coming through and managing the traffic chaos that happens when they get stuck.”
She went on to add that it is also a huge problem when robots are vandalised, which happens all the time.
ALSO READ: Ekurhuleni residents face service cuts as Clr Humphreys decries billing app failure
The councillor said four brand new robots were cut down on November 2. The robots on Boeing Road West have also not been working for a long time, and this may be why a vehicle crashed onto the bridge’s rail. The robots have, however, finally been replaced and fixed.
The councillor further explained that the robots are vandalised for the cables. “Then afterwards, they come back and steal the whole thing because it’s made of steel.
This has been happening in Bedfordview for the past eight months, which is recent. We don’t know who exactly is doing it, but it is a syndicate.”
Humphreys said the province is responsible for that part of the road.
The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport were contacted for comments on December 4.
