Braamfontein bridge repaired

The Johannesburg Roads Agency came to the rescue when Metro Police reported a bridge in Braamfontain in dangerous condition. The problem: the road underneath had subsided.
A LONG-STANDING railway bridge near Smit and Solomon streets in Braamfontein has been restored following reports that it was in a state of disrepair and was about to undergo collapse.

The new, patched up area on the bridgeThe new, patched up area on the bridgeLisa Seftel, the City’s executive director for transportation, said an engineer who inspected the bridge found neither structural damage nor crumbling concrete on its facade or underbelly.

However, the Johannesburg Roads Agency said as a precautionary measure the road leading to the bridge was cordoned-off, traffic was diverted and a thorough safety inspection conducted. It found the problem to be a subsidence of the road surface where it joins the bridge concrete structure, Seftel explained.

She said the subsidence was caused by a water leak, which has now been repaired by Joburg Water. “The JRA repaired the damage on the road by removing the wet material and re-instating the road to a good condition,” she said.

Work on the bridge began a few days after a complaint was laid by members of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department in the latter part of August and was completed a few days later. The road is now fully operational and no structural damages have been reported since.

The JRA is a municipal-owned entity responsible for maintaining roads infrastructure. In his maiden budget, Executive Mayor Parks Tau set aside some R567,6-million for the JRA to maintain roads and fix potholes. Its budget on the resurfacing of roads has been increased to enable it to intensify its resolve on maintenance issues.

For service delivery discrepancies on municipal roads contact the Johannesburg Roads Agency on 011 298 5000 or logon to its website. Alternatively log a call with Joburg Connect on 011 375 55 55.

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