After months of complaints and repairs, the bridge on Cork Avenue has finally been repaired and reopened.
The deterioration of the road and bridge was highlighted by the Bryanfern Residents Association (RA) committee. Bronweyn Craig, who handles special projects for the association said from start to end, the project took about 18 months.
READ: Construction of Cork Avenue bridge to commence soon
The fact that the road was closed for the last six months made residents in the area unhappy. Craig said the residents did not understand the importance of these repairs. “You had to go underneath the bridge to see the problem,” she explained. Once photographs of the decaying bridge were then put online, residents began to understand the importance of the rehabilitation project.
Ward Councillor Mike Wood offered a sincere thank you to the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) and the contractors who were involved in repairing this bridge in such a short space of time. He explained that the complaint was lodged on a Saturday and the following Monday JRA inspected the bridge and closed it. Since then, the repairs went on smoothly with the only delays being due to rains around the end of summer.
A total of R7.3 million was allocated to the bridge repairs, said JRA spokesperson, Bertha Peter-Scheepers. The money was made available after the bridge was declared unsafe due to the heavy rains experienced at the end of 2016 and the beginning of this year. She added that the decay “compromised the integrity of the road” and that a road closure was essential to ensure the safe repair of the bridge.
Wesley Sevenster, the contractor of the bridge repair, believes because of the work his team has put into the bridge, its lifespan has been extended. “It should be fine for the next 30 years,” he said. More storm water drains and anti-erosion mechanisms were added to ensure that the bridge will remain safe for public usage.
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