Temporary safety measure in place on bridge near Toti CBD
According to Ward 97 councillor André Beetge, repairs to the bridge will not commence in the near future due to budget restraints. Motorists and pedestrians are cautioned about the danger of using the roadway.
AFTER a late-night collision caused further damage to the bridge across the Amanzimtoti River near the CBD, temporary concrete jersey barriers have been placed as a safety precaution.
Ward 97 councillor André Beetge said ‘activity’ along the Kingsway Road bridge has not only resulted in the southern end of the railing being demolished but also a section on the inland side closer to the CBD.
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“The damage so incurred does not classify as normal repair and maintenance but has to instead be quantified and motivated as part of capital expenditure, especially so where both railings would possibly have to be replaced in their entirety,” he said.
Despite speculation to the contrary, Beetge said the repair of the railings falls at cost to the municipality which, given the current financial constraints, will possibly only budget for it in the new financial year or even stretch it into the next.
“However, and given the safety risk that it holds for both vehicles and pedestrians, we have requested the placement of concrete jersey barriers as an interim measure. While some of the smaller and lighter units have already been put in place, we are hoping to have them replaced with the longer and heavier type when the necessary equipment to move these heavy units becomes available,” said Beetge.
He said they have also requested the repair of streetlights in the immediate area. “This is definitely a contributing factor when it comes to nighttime visibility at what is already a dangerous and almost ninety-degree bend,” said Beetge.
Coordinator of Tidy Towns Amanzimtoti Michelle Dunnett, who had expressed her concern about an inevitable deadly accident to the SUN a few hours before the bridge was temporarily reinforced, said, “While this is better than this morning, this is not good enough. Pavements are still obstructed. Pedestrians are very vulnerable here as this is a highly used pathway to the train station and taxi rank. Tidy Towns wants to assist if the relevant authorities will allow it. We need to work together to fix our town,” she said.
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