After 16 months of construction, traffic disruptions and lengthy detours, the newly rebuilt Pierre Road bridge in Ruimsig Agricultural Holdings officially reopened to motorists on Friday, July 31, restoring a vital link between communities and bringing relief to thousands of daily road users.

The R23.6m Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) project replaced the ageing, flood-damaged culvert between Alec and Short streets with a larger, stronger bridge designed to improve water flow, reduce flooding and provide safer access for motorists, pedestrians and emergency services.

The road was officially reopened during a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by City of Johannesburg MMC for Transport Clr Kenny Kunene, JRA CEO Zweli Nyathi, Ward 97 councillor Jacques Hoon and other stakeholders.

The previous bridge had become unsafe after years of flooding repeatedly overtopping the culvert, forcing its closure in March 2025. Construction began shortly afterwards and reached practical completion in July this year.

• Also read: Pierre Road bridge repairs near completion

Nyathi said the project forms part of the agency’s broader programme to modernise Johannesburg’s ageing road infrastructure.

“This project is one of JRA’s several key interventions to rejuvenate the ageing infrastructure and to provide a safe, reliable and accessible road network for communities in the City of Johannesburg,” he said.

He added that the project included demolishing the old culvert, constructing a new 14 metres-long bridge with improved hydraulic capacity, raising the road level and rebuilding road approaches to better withstand future storms.

JRA Head of Infrastructure Development Kwazelela Mcetywa said the project experienced delays after contractors had to relocate underground services, excavate unexpected hard rock and contend with poor weather conditions.

He said the old two-cell culvert had been replaced with a much larger four-cell bridge capable of carrying significantly more stormwater, while the project also included new stormwater infrastructure, sidewalks, fencing, road markings, signage and the reconstruction of more than 700m of roadway. Road rehabilitation work on nearby Alec and Potgieter streets is expected to be completed in September.

• Also read: Pierre Road street bridge finally gets much-needed repairs

Hoon described the bridge as more than just infrastructure, saying it restores a vital connection for residents, commuters, businesses and emergency services that depend on the route every day.

Kunene said the prolonged closure had affected motorists, pedestrians and economic activity, adding that reopening the bridge would bring much-needed relief to Ward 97 and surrounding communities.

Honeydew Residents Association chairperson Minda Kruger marked the reopening as a significant moment for the community.

“This is such an exciting day for everyone. We’ve been counting down the days until today. This is going to make life so much easier for residents. It will shorten travelling times, make the route easier to use and allow people to travel freely from one side of Honeydew to the other. Everyone is really happy, and we’d like to thank the JRA and everyone involved,” said Kruger.

According to the JRA, the project also created 15 temporary jobs through the Expanded Public Works Programme and supported three local small businesses with work worth more than R3.6m, while workers and contractors received accredited skills training during the project.