Promises go unfulfilled as crumbling N17 bridge remains a looming disaster

Sanral has again failed to fulfil its undertaking to repair the crumbling section of the pedestrian bridge across the N17 in Van Dyk Park, leaving pedestrians with no safe alternative way to cross the freeway.

The damaged section on the bridge’s north side was reported to Sanral in April 2022.
This damage reportedly occurred when a vehicle crashed into one of the concrete beams, damaging the supporting column and the deck point, which was left lopsided.

The roads agency initially told the Boksburg Advertiser in June 2022 that it was aware of the situation’s urgency and promised the repairs would start at least within six to eight weeks after the remedial design was complete and a specialist concrete sub-contractor appointed.
However, eight months after that promise, the broken section of the bridge, only supported by some timber poles, remained untouched.

On February 23 last year, the Advertiser again contacted Sanral for an update on the situation.
The agency said a tender document calling for invited bids from suitably experienced contractors would be issued within two weeks.
They then anticipated that a tender would be awarded and the repair work would be able to commence within two months.
It was projected that the repairs would take about three months to complete.
However, when the Advertiser revisited the area on March 11, despite the undertaking given by Sanral, the bridge is still not fixed.

The deflected supporting columns and lopsided deck point are still dangerous to motorists and pedestrians.
The Advertiser has again contacted Sanral for comment but had received none at the time of compiling this report.

Danger
Following concerns about the danger posed by the bridge, the agency initially blocked it off, forcing pedestrians to face an even greater hazard in what can be described as a clear case of jumping from the frying pan into the fire.

Pedestrians meant to use the overpass from the opposite side of the freeway had to risk their lives crossing the freeway itself.

Sanral had initially defended its decision to block access to the pedestrian crossing, arguing that it did so as a precautionary measure.
However, the agency later unblocked access to the bridge after doing a temporary stabilisation of the bridge with steel and timber poles.

“A risk assessment was done, which indicates it is far riskier for someone to cross the highway if the bridge were to be barricaded than it is for someone to use the structure as it is at the moment,” explained Alan Agaienz, Sanral’s project manager in the Northern Region.

As if the precarious bridge structure is not enough to contend with, just a few metres away is an open manhole in the path of pedestrians wanting to use the bridge to cross the highway.
The Advertiser requested comment from the Ekurhuleni metro on the open manhole but had received none at the time of publication.

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