Work on the damaged Sjampanje Street Bridge has still not started, even though money for the repairs has already been set aside. The bridge collapsed during heavy rains in 2023 and has remained closed ever since.

Elmari Atterbury and Esmie Liebenberg from the Service Delivery Hub conducted an oversight visit on October 30, following a visit by the Transport Section 79 Oversight Committee earlier in May. On November 5, the Roodepoort Northsider visited the bridge with Atterbury and Liebenberg to have a look at the condition of the bridge.

Speaking on the developments of getting the bridge fixed, Liebenberg said the Department of Transport told the committee that the project is still in the tender stage, waiting for contractors to be appointed, and it is not known when repairs will begin.

• Also read: Sjampanje bridge crumbles amid heavy rainfall

During the visit, the group saw that the bridge is even more damaged. There was also a bad smell coming from the water running underneath. Johannesburg Water has since fixed a broken sewage pipe near the bridge, which had been leaking into the stream after it broke during heavy rains in March, but the bridge itself remains untouched.

According to the Johannesburg Roads Agency, more than R9m has been budgeted for the repair work in the 2025/ 26 financial year. The project is part of a city plan that includes R152m for repairing bridges across Johannesburg.

• Also read: Sjampanje Street bridge to remain closed for safety

“Every delay makes life harder for people who use this bridge to get to work, school, and other places,” said Atterbury, expressing that the damaged bridge affects residents badly as they have to use detours, which get them stuck in traffic during peak hours.

The closed bridge continues to cause problems for drivers and pedestrians. People living near the bridge have expressed that they are tired of waiting and just want to see construction start.