Van Dyk Park bridge now a no-go zone for pedestrians – SANRAL

SANRAL said it is aware of the state of the pedestrian overpass bridge across the N17 in Van Dyk Park and the urgency to repair it.

This came after concerned residents expressed outrage over the section of the bridge which appears to be on the verge of collapsing.

The agency told the Boksburg Advertiser that processes to repair the bridge are underway.

According to Alan Agaienz, SANRAL’s project manager in the northern region, the bridge has been cordoned off by their routine road maintenance (RRM) contractor to prevent access until it can be repaired.

“Our RRM supervising consultant route manager noticed the damaged bridge on April 13 and reported it to SANRAL.

“The repairs will be carried out as soon as the remedial design has been completed and a specialist concrete sub-contractor can be engaged. We estimate that the repairs will commence within six to eight weeks,” said Agaienz.

Agaienz said the damage to the bridge was caused by an unidentified vehicle that crashed into one of the supporting columns, thus causing the ramp to settle and crack.

The bridge in question was built in 1983 and its lifespan is expected to be at least 50 years as long as preventative and routine maintenance is carried out as and when required.

When asked how often they conduct maintenance or inspection of the highway bridges, Agaienz responded:

“Each structure on SANRAL’s inventory list must be formally inspected for safety by a competent engineer on an annual basis.

“The inspectors must be SANRAL/CSIR accredited bridge inspectors. The overall condition of a structure is inspected in great detail as and when necessary but within a maximum of a five-year routine maintenance cycle.”

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