Blundell Road bridge construction on track for 2025 finish

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21-10-2024
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Highway Mail
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THERE is some good news for residents and motorists as the construction of the new Shallcross/Blundell Road bridge, which connects Shallcross to Queensburgh, is expected to be completed in the next six months.

The new bridge, once completed, will be 90m in length and has a project cost of R74 million as confirmed by the eThekwini Municipality.

Michael Labase, construction manager of Afrostructures, the company tasked with the building of the new bridge, said that even recent rain delays would not halt the project.

“As things stand, the project is expected to be complete by March 2025. The new, elevated bridge will be wider, with one lane on either side, which will make it safer for motorists to cross. Some of the recent rains have set us back by two weeks, however, there are recovery plans in place, and we will finish on time,” he said.

Queensburgh News also met with Ward 63 councillor Chris van den Berg who gave some background to the new bridge project.

In 2022, the Pompeni River Bridge, a low-level crossing connecting the two areas, was damaged extensively by the floods and was subsequently rebuilt by residents of Shallcross.

However, the bridge, which is still in use, runs over the uMhlathuzana River and is at risk of future flooding due to it being so low, which prompted the eThekwini Municipality to commission the project to build a new bridge.

The low-level crossing will eventually be demolished only once the newly constructed bridge is operational.

“This new bridge will make it safer for travel. The existing Pompeni River Bridge is very narrow, and there have been a few accidents because of that. Whenever it rains heavily, there is a risk that the low-lying bridge gets flooded. Speaking to the construction manager, I’m pleased with the progress of how well the project is moving, and in time, this will be a massive boost to the area,” he said.