Ageing infrastructure and floods cause several Mpumalangan bridges’ collapse

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14-01-2025
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Mpumalanga News
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The MEC urged the community to not disrupt any service delivery projects in their areas.

A corrugated metal culvert bridge on the P177, between Carolina and Chrissiesmeer in the Chief Albert Luthuli Local Municipality (CALLM), collapsed on December 28.

This road, located between the R33 and the N17, had to be temporarily closed.

On December 30, the MEC for public works, roads and transport, Thulasizwe Thomo, conducted an on-site inspection to assess the damage and determine the next steps for emergency repairs. He was accompanied by the Gert Sibande District’s executive mayor, Cllr Walter Mngomezulu, CALLM’s executive mayor, Cllr Mnisi Magubane, and other stakeholders.

“We were also joined by our departmental engineers who are assisting the evaluation of the culvert’s structural failure and determining the most suitable repair options. Our teams are being mobilised to begin emergency repairwork to restore the route as quickly as possible and ensure the safety of all road users,” Thomo said.

“The culvert failures we have been experiencing, such as the ones we have observed recently on both the Mahamba road and between Katjibane and Nokaneng, are often a result of several factors, including ageing infrastructure and adverse environmental conditions such as flood damages.”

Similar to this incident, in August, the Mahamba culvert bridge in eMkhondo Local Municipality was damaged, which resulted in the closure of the Mahamba road, the route which connects South Africa to the Kingdom of eSwatini. The repairs have since been completed and the road was reopened in December.

Meanwhile, the heavy rains in December resulted in the partial collapse of the road between Nokaneng and Katjibane. Responding to this disaster, Thomo emphasised the need to carry out the required repairs without delay, to restore the bridge as quickly as possible and minimise the inconveniences to the communities travelling between these two villages.

He also urged the community to not to disrupt the service delivery projects in their areas.

“In light of these persisting incidents, it is imperative that we strengthen our efforts to address the issue of ageing culverts, especially corrugated metal culvert bridges, which have become increasingly vulnerable over time,”
he said.

Thomo added that the upgrading of these bridges is of utmost importance.

“Our collective resolve remains firm in responding to these challenges, and we will continue to prioritise the replacement and upgrading of corrugated metal culverts and other critical infrastructure to improve our road network,” he said.