Final assessment of the Illovo railway bridge made
A section of the bridge was washed away during the 2022 floods, cutting rail travel between Winklesruit and areas south of Illovo Beach.
THE Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) made the final assessment of the collapsed Illovo River railway bridge on September 10, as part of its oversight visits to ongoing and pending projects in the region.
A section of the bridge was washed away during the April 2022 floods, cutting rail travel between Winklesruit and areas south of Illovo Beach.
Also read: Meeting to fast-track Illovo River railway bridge construction
Since April, Prasa has held several meetings with eThekwini Municipality to fast-track the bridge’s restoration.
Speaking on the significance of the partnership, eThekwini’s executive director in the office of the City manager, Sipho Cele, said the partnership between the City and Prasa is critical to building a modern, reliable and resilient transport system.
“We are not merely reacting to disasters; we are deliberately designing our city to withstand them,” said Cele.
No date has been given for the start of the construction phase of the project, but Cele said the first step would be to demolish what is left of the 100-year-old steel truss bridge before the new flood-resistant one is built in its place.
Key features of the new bridge design:
- Extended span: The bridge length increases from 230m to 340m, fully covering the previous washaway section.
- Material: Concrete
- Improved hydrology: The design replaces four concrete piers with 13 strategically positioned piers to minimise water flow constriction and significantly reduce future flood risk.
- Building back better: The transition from a steel structure to a resilient concrete bridge aligns with the City’s Build Back Better strategy, reinforcing sustainable and disaster-resilient infrastructure development.
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