The bridges of Alfred County – good, bad and ugly
With chunks of concrete falling and gaping holes in the railings our bridges are in need of urgent attention.
Bridges come in all shapes and sizes and play a major role in everyone’s lives throughout the world; whether connecting cities and towns or rural areas and provinces, they are always used.
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Here on the South Coast there is very little to boast about when it comes to structural design, but we can be proud that they are there, making a difference. There are two major bridges that play a vital role on the South Coast, the Mzimkhulu River bridge in Port Shepstone and the Umtamvuna River bridge near the Wild Coast Sun Hotel and Casino Resort.
Chunks of concrete have fallen from the Mzimkhulu bridge, leaving the reinforcing exposed.
This bridge is used by hundreds of commuters every day. Fishermen often pass underneath the bridge and have noticed the state of the structure.
Recently, a fisherman, Myuran Moodley, saw large chunks of concrete which had fallen off the bridge lying on the beach, making it dangerous for the fishermen and beachgoers.
A few pillars facing the sea side of the bridge were repaired a few years ago, but little or no work was done on the pillars on the northbound lane.
Another two bridges on the South Coast that have taken a knock and are in urgent need of attention are the bridges spanning the Little Billy River in Ramsgate and the bridge on Marine Drive near the three-way traffic lights in Margate, which have both been damaged in recent years and neither has been repaired. Credit needs to be given to the Department of Transport for replacing the hand railings on the Mbango River bridge recently.
The railings on the Little Billy River bridge were damaged in an accident which claimed the life of a 41-year-old woman when her vehicle veered off the road, crashed through and plunged into the water in October last year.
In June last year, a driver and his passenger escaped serious injuries when the vehicle in which they were travelling smashed through barriers and landed in the Nkhongweni River in Margate.
The gaping holes on these bridges pose a danger to both pedestrians and motorists and one wonders why the department of transport takes their time to repair these bridges.
Community involvement
The community of Umzumbe has recently beautified the Umzumbe bridge with colourful artwork. Port St Johns has recently turned their town worthy of a holiday destination. The tourism body had a meeting to discuss how to boost the profile of the town and draw holidaymakers in. An idea was put forward, to use the Indonesian Rainbow Village as inspiration and the tourism body approved it. The town quickly set up a competition and got the entire community involved in turning Port St Johns into a rainbow town.
In the 1990s Freddie van Dongen co-owner of the La Crete Hotel in Uvongo took it upon himself to paint the Ivungu River bridge yellow and white. The Herald stands to be corrected that the Uvongo bridge has never seen a fresh coat of paint since.
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