President Cyril Ramaphosa has inspected the damaged Ezimbokodweni River Bridge on the N2 in KwaZulu-Natal today, following the bridge’s partial collapse on Monday, forcing the closure of the southbound carriageway and a major traffic diversion.
The President did the inspection ahead of the District Development Model (DDM) Presidential Imbizo held at Umnini Sportsfield in Umgababa.
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy, who accompanied the President, announced that the Department of Transport, with the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL), aims to temporarily repair the bridge, targeting a December reopening to accommodate the festive season rush.
“I am here with a team of SANRAL engineers, who have inspected the bridge, and we’ve agreed on a temporary repair that will reopen the bridge at the start of December,” Creecy told SAnews.
She said more extensive work would follow next year, explaining that a permanent stabilisation plan is essential to ensure long-term safety for road users.
“Next year, further work will be done. It is quite complicated engineering work that will be done to stabilise the bridge on a permanent basis so that it can then be safe for road users.
“I am told by engineers that even when a solution is being put in place, we will not have another closure such as this one we are experiencing now. We will be able to work on this bridge installing a permanent solution with nighttime closures,” Creecy said.
The Minister noted that the situation at the moment poses incredible discomfort on motorists.
Highlighting the impact on motorists, Creecy noted that the situation is incredibly uncomfortable, as she was stuck in the traffic herself today, which underscores the urgency to provide a short-term solution, especially with heavy holiday traffic expected.
SANRAL CEO Reginald Demana explained to SAnews that initial inspections revealed structural damage to a support pillar, necessitating innovative temporary repairs on the aging bridge, which was built in 1964 using old technology.
“We’re planning to use hydraulic jacks to realign the bridge deck temporarily, allowing traffic flow, while we implement a lasting solution by early next year,” Demana said.
Demana said that passenger vehicles are currently being rerouted via the R102, while heavy trucks are directed further south to avoid overloading the provincial road. Long-term repairs involving modern engineering will proceed with nighttime closures scheduled for February and March 2025 to minimise disruption to road users. - SAnews.gov.za
