Ward 97 residents were given a detailed update on the long-awaited reconstruction of the Sjampanje Street bridge during a public meeting held at Ruimsig Stadium on Tuesday, February 10.

The bridge, which partially collapsed during heavy rains in 2023, has remained closed for more than two years. During this time, residents have faced daily travel disruptions while the structure continued to deteriorate.

Various stakeholders involved in the project, including the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) representatives, attended the meeting, which saw a good turnout from residents. Ward 97 councillor Jacques Hoon was also present, and expressed that he was glad the work is finally about to begin since repairs are long overdue.

Nkosinathi Mpontshana from Sindane Mining Ventures gave a presentation of the full scope of the reconstruction project, which is being implemented on behalf of the JRA. He confirmed that funding for the project has been secured, allowing the work to move from planning to implementation.

He explained that the existing bridge will be demolished and rebuilt from scratch.

“The proposed work comprises the demolition and reconstruction of the existing bridge,” he said, adding that the current culvert will be replaced with a larger structure to enhance hydraulic capacity.

According to Mpontshana, the bridge is about 17m long and about 10m wide. The new bridge will be a five-cell cast-in-situ culvert structure, including inlet and outlet sections.

The project will also include road realignment, construction of approach roads, asphalt surfacing, guardrails, road signage, road markings and erosion protection.

“We are also addressing erosion protection around the bridge, which was one of the contributing factors to the failure of the existing structure.”

He confirmed that the total project cost is about R26m, with an expected construction period of 10 months. This means the work is expected to conclude by December, provided there are no disturbances like rainy conditions, etc.

Local economic participation will form part of the project.

“We have four SMME packages that will be offered as part of this project,” Mpontshana said. He added that labour will be recruited in line with the Expanded Public Work Programme guidelines, with priority given to Ward 97 residents, and they are looking to employ about 15 people at the moment.

The presentation was followed by a question-and-answer session, during which residents raised concerns about the project start date, accessibility during construction, employment opportunities and the protection of existing services.

It was stressed that construction cannot begin until a Community Liaison Officer (CLO) is appointed. The CLO position has been advertised, with applications closing on February 18 at noon, and the appointment of the CLO will mark the commencement of the project.

The contractor will also protect the existing structures and infrastructure during the project and in the nearby affected areas.