Clr Kade Guerreiro questions the safety of Sam Green Road bridge
“The highway beneath it will be closed if the bridge collapses, and there might be traffic congestion, vehicle damage, and fatalities,” said Guerreiro.
Ward 92 Clr Kade Guerreiro has voiced safety concerns about the Sam Green Road Bridge, which connects Tunney Ext 6 with traffic from North Reef Road.
The bridge, built in 1969, is a crucial shortcut to the Tunney business district, accommodating trucks and other vehicles.
During a recent oversight visit, Guerreiro highlighted the bridge’s longstanding damage from a vehicle collision years ago.
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“Instead of repairing the damage, officials erected concrete blocks as barriers, which prevent pedestrians from using the pavement safely,” Guerreiro said.
He noted that the bridge trembles when large trucks pass, raising significant safety concerns.
Guerreiro called for city and state representatives to collaborate on ensuring the bridge’s safety, warning that a collapse could lead to severe traffic disruptions, vehicle damage, and potential fatalities.
Guerreiro has previously raised concerns about another bridge in the ward, specifically around the Shelton Avenue underpass.
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He pointed out missing concrete barriers and cracks in the supporting pillars, emphasising the risk to motorists travelling from Edenvale to Klopperpark, Isando, Meadowdale, or parts of Germiston.
The Germiston City News requested comments from the CoE and the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) by May 13 at 10:00.
Madoda Mthembu, the Sanral operations and maintenance manager, responded. He said Sanral owns the bridge, and its routine road maintenance team had inspected it.
“We are comfortable reporting that we identified no structural defects,” Mthembu said.
He attributed the visible surface cracks to common issues around bridge expansion joints and noted that truck drivers using the bridge did not confirm any movement.
However, Mthembu assured his team would continue to monitor the bridge during future inspections.
At the time of going to print, the CoE had not provided a comment.
