The office of MMC for Transport Kenny Kunene has been contacted for comment and follow-ups since February 23 regarding the promise made during an on-site visit to prioritise repairs to Platina Bridge in Jukskei Park.
Kunene visited the site on March 6, 2025, following severe flooding that once again submerged the bridge and damaged surrounding infrastructure.
During the visit, he reassured residents that immediate action would be taken to improve safety at the crossing. At the time, Kunene acknowledged that the bridge had been reported several times before, but funding constraints delayed intervention.
“The bridge has been reported since 2023, but we didn’t have the budget. As JRA, we need to come up with interventions while waiting for the infrastructure grant to fix the bridge.”
A year later, Ward 115 councillor Mark van der Merwe and Sean Kreusch, the DA Shadow MMC of Transport, conducted an oversight inspection at the bridge to assess the current situation.
Van der Merwe explained that the bridge has flooded repeatedly since 2023, causing increasing levels of destruction to the surrounding infrastructure. “In 2023, the bridge flooded several times. Water came over the bridge, it took out guardrails and damaged the embankment along the side.”
Flooding last year caused even more severe damage, washing away sections of water infrastructure, fibre cables, and fencing, while collapsing parts of the embankment into the river. “There was damage where infrastructure was washed away completely. Everything just collapsed into the river.”
Last year, Khaya Gqibitole, the head of department (HOD) for regional operations at Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), said cost to repair the bridge was around R1.4m, however, Van der Merwe now says that he has been told that the plan has shifted toward a full bridge replacement project, estimated at between R60m and R70m.
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The proposed design would include significantly wider spans to allow floodwater and debris to pass underneath more easily, reducing the risk of blockages during heavy rains.
Van der Merwe, however, has raised concerns about the impact construction could have on nearby businesses. “If they demolish this bridge and rebuild it in the same place, the petrol station and the nearby shopping centre could lose customers for up to a year while construction takes place.”
Kreusch also raised broader concerns about the state of bridge infrastructure across Johannesburg.
“There is a lack of accountability from the MMC’s office, as well as insufficient funding to address the city’s critical bridge infrastructure. Platina Bridge is just one example of the challenges facing the city.”
At the time of publication, the MMC’s office had not responded to requests for comment.
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