Editor – The column by Iqbal Khan (September 2, 2016) refers. Your columnist refers to two bridges in Ladysmith being “the white elephants of Sanral”. In the interests of accuracy, the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) feels constrained to set the record straight.
1. The Model Kloof Pedestrian Bridge and Walkway is a SANRAL community development project located on the northern outskirts of Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, linking the Limit Hill and Model Kloof neighbourhoods. The neighbourhoods are separated by the busy N11 which connects Ladysmith in the south to Newcastle in the north.
Commercial developments nearby had resulted in increased vehicle traffic volumes in the area, making it very dangerous during the morning and afternoon peak periods when a relatively large number of pedestrians, including Limit Hill Primary School learners, would cross the N11 directly, due to lack of appropriate pedestrian infrastructure.
As a community development project, a pedestrian bridge was therefore constructed over the N11, together with surfaced walkways, connecting the Model Kloof neighbourhood to Limit Hill and central Ladysmith four kilometres away. Dedicated pedestrian walkways were also constructed to eliminate the dangerous pedestrian usage of the N11 shoulder, as well as a 460m safety wall adjacent to the pedestrian bridge to prevent at-grade crossings. This pedestrian bridge is well used.
2. The bridge over the N11 at Queen St (in the CBD) was constructed by the municipality but with excess grant funding. They were given a very short time in which to spend the funds and considered that the quickest way was to construct a pedestrian bridge at one of the busiest intersections. SANRAL warned that a pedestrian bridge at this particular location would be wasteful expenditure due to the fact that there is an existing signal controlled intersection at this point which could be adapted to adequately accommodate the safety and management of pedestrians.
Despite SANRAL’s strong reservations, the bridge was constructed.
As part of the signed Memorandum of Understanding with the municipality, SANRAL will only take over the facility if it could be shown that over a period of five years, from its construction, the bridge was being well used by pedestrians.
The most recent pedestrian counts carried out on August 2 show that almost no use is being made of the bridge despite the fact that, by comparison, high pedestrian volumes cross the N11 and Queen Street at ground level, through the signalised intersection.
As it stands at present, the bridge belongs to the municipality, as the five-year trial period is not yet completed. It seems most unlikely that after some four years of consistent low usage, pedestrians will suddenly feel the need to make use of the bridge. This being the case, SANRAL will not be obliged to take over the facility and it will remain the responsibility of the municipality to maintain and monitor its usage.
From the above, you will realise that the bridge constructed by SANRAL is not a “white elephant”. The bridge built by the municipality is under-used.
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