Following the R7.3 Million emergency reconstruction to Cork Avenue Bridge in Ferndale, Randburg, I am pleased to inform all road users and residents that the bridge is now accessible.
The repairs to the bridge form part of the Johannesburg Road Agency’s (JRA) City-wide repair and rehabilitation of storm water drainage systems to ensure safe and accessible roads and related infrastructure. The bridge was declared unsafe for public use, following heavy rainfall and flash flooding in January 2017 which destroyed the low-lying bridge over the Klein Jukskei River.
Earlier this year, the City was hard hit by excessive damage to infrastructure due to severe weather conditions experienced, which necessitated a R103.5 million emergency repair investment for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of six city bridges. To ensure public safety, risk mitigation strategies were implemented to swiftly address the collapsing Cork Avenue Bridge. Following a flood impact assessment, the bridge’s demolition and reconstruction was prioritised at R7.3 million. The project was embarked upon in early February and has taken six months to complete.
A site inspection post the flood damage revealed the extent of damage to the structure. The existing sewer-line and other services were severely exposed due to excessive erosion caused by the failure of the stream crossing. As part of the reconstruction, a 3-metre-high gabion wall was established on either side of Cork Avenue Bridge’s storm water inlet and outlet to support increased water volumes; a 12 metre gabion mattress has been installed; de-siltation has been carried out, and rubble and debris has been removed. Guardrails and culverts have also been replaced and JRA has increased the vegetation on the banks to address soil erosion. The retaining walls have been reconstructed and road signs swept away by the storm water have been replaced.
I would therefore like to thank the residents of Joburg for their patience while we address the current problems of storm water drains resulting to flooding. We are committed on building and preserving our storm water infrastructure and ensuring sustainable industrialisation. Furthermore, we encourage our residents to continue to report any road, traffic light, or infrastructure faults on the JRA’s Find & Fix App.