Joburg’s 900-plus bridges have not been visually inspected in nine years, and the city admits their condition would have deteriorated since the inspection revealed that more than 700 needed rehabilitation and upgrading — 68 urgently.
The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) says the exact number of bridges in poor condition will be determined during the next inspection in this financial year.
Heavy rains, damaged water pipes, electrical wiring and a significant increase in heavy trucks using the roads all contribute to the damage.
The JRA, charged with maintenance of the city’s roads, stormwater drains and bridges, has a R276bn infrastructure backlog. Of this:
- R144bn is for stormwater infrastructure;
- R37bn for bridge maintenance;
- R90bn for roads; and
- R4bn for the upkeep of pavements.
Johannesburg has some of the busiest roads in the country: 300,000 cars and trucks travel on the M1 and N1 daily, with at least 1,500 trucks using the N1 Western Bypass every day.
Since the last comprehensive inspection of the city’s bridges, the near collapse of Transnet’s freight rail service has forced more trucks onto the roads. As of July, more than 85% of South Africa’s land freight was carried by road.
This financial year, the JRA was allocated a budget of R2.8bn for three years, with R912.8m allocated for this financial year. From this, R152m has been budgeted for bridge rehabilitation, the agency said.
The JRA is actively working on six bridges:
- Sjampanje Bridge in Roodepoort;
- Elias Motsoaledi Bridge in Soweto;
- Moroka Nancefield Road Bridge;
- the FNB Bridge;
- Lenasia Bridge; and
- the New Naledi Bridge.
Work on other bridges will also take place.
The JRA said the extent of the damage to the city’s bridges includes:
- structural damage (cracks and buckling);
- material degradation (corrosion and spalling — breaking off in fragments); and
- environmental or foundation issues (the erosion of soil around bridge foundations by fast-moving water, settlement damage and erosion).
“We are aware that numerous authorities responsible for maintaining road infrastructure have not been performing maintenance as required,” said Gavin Kelly, CEO of the Road Freight Association (RFA).
“This has not resulted in bridge failures yet. At the moment we see the lack of maintenance of roads and the water removal system alongside roads. But this does not mean bridges are not in need of maintenance, and we reiterate the need for this to be done before catastrophic incidents occur.”
In Ward 104, which spans Bryanston, Ferndale, Malanshof and Strijdompark, councillor Emi Koekemoer is dealing with at least three bridges in urgent need of attention.
First is the bridge on CR Swart Drive, which connects Malibongwe Drive and President Fouche Road. Three years ago heavy floods washed away the banks of the Braamfontein Spruit, over which the road runs.
The embankment today is falling into the river, which has already damaged buildings on one side of the spruit. A meat-packing company on the riverbank cannot get insurance because the soil has eroded to such an extent that water has eaten away at the building foundations.
On the other side of the spruit is an informal settlement where waste pickers live. The spruit is awash with rubbish, plastic and effluent.
“The JRA has been here for a site inspection with me, they know it’s bad. But there is no budget to fix this,” said Koekemoer.
A few hundred metres along CR Swart Drive is a bridge carrying the N1 Western Bypass. An informal “restaurant” has sprung up under the bridge, with braai fires blackening its underside.
Koekemoer points to cracks in the supporting trusses of the bridge. A nearby stormwater drain is blocked, with rats running through the sewage.
“The fires under the bridge are starting to affect the structural integrity of the bridge. If it collapses, it will be catastrophic, but the JRA is not taking it seriously,” Koekemoer said.
Then there is the endless saga of the Gertrude Bridge. In March heavy floods blocked the bridge on Gertrude Road on the border of Malanshof and Fontainebleau.
After a February 2024 flood washed away the perimeters of several houses along the Klein Jukskei River, the JRA placed concrete barriers inside the river so rehabilitation could start. Residents believe this contributed to this year’s flooding because the riverbed was blocked.
There have also been several payment disputes between the JRA and contractors working on the Gertrude Bridge. On October 29 contractors downed tools and left the site because they had again not been paid by the JRA.
Extensive questions on these three bridges were sent to the JRA. The agency replied that Johannesburg Water and the Johannesburg metropolitan police department had to add comment. However, despite repeated reminders and queries, no response was supplied.
This story is produced by Our City News, a nonprofit newsroom serving Johannesburg
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