Joburg bridges collapsing yet no assessment in nearly nine years

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10-03-2025
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Sowetan Live
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Five crossings closed while 23 are at risk of being shut

The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) has not done an extensive assessment on the status of bridges across the city in nearly nine years.

The agency told Sowetan that the last comprehensive study was done in the 2016/2017 financial year. It said that 23 bridge structures were at risk of being closed if they continue to deteriorate.

Some of the bridges which are crumbling include the CBD's M1 southbound over the M2, Queen Elizabeth over the railyard, M2 over Heidelberg Road and the Crown Interchange, M2 West to M1 North, and Pierre Road in Ruimsig, Roodepoort.

JRA's head of the department of infrastructure development Kwazelela Mcetywa said at least 129 bridge structures out of 902 bridge structures in the city are in a poor or very poor condition.

"Some bridges need structural rehabilitation which can only be implemented subject to budget availability"

Kwazelela Mcetywa

He said the bridges infrastructure backlog was exacerbate by heavy rains and flood damage.

For years, Johannesburg bridges have been in a state of decline, raising growing concerns among motorists and pedestrians. 

Mcetywa said 68 of the bridge structures required a budget of about R1.28bn to be rehabilitated or reconstructed.

He said some of the city's road infrastructure, including bridge structures, were not initially designed to accommodate the high levels of traffic which is currently experienced.

"The JRA undertakes a periodic assessment of bridges, culvert structures and all road-related infrastructure. This is a comprehensive study called a visual conditions assessment [VCA]. The last VCA undertaken by the JRA was in the 2016/2017 financial year," he said.

"The JRA can confirm that five bridge structures have been closed off to road users due to structural defects that could compromise road safety. Structures that are unsafe will be attended to as JRA’s infrastructure development department has a budget allocation-based implementation plan in this regard.

"However, motorists should not be alarmed as bridges that are currently open to traffic are not in imminent danger of collapse..."

He said the cost of damages to bridge infrastructure amounted to R283m during the December 2022 floods.

"...Each financial year, bridge structures that are severely damaged and pose major safety risks to road users are prioritised in the JRA’s capital expenditure budget. It is important to contextualise factors such as ageing infrastructure, densification and budget constraints, as not all bridges can be adequately addressed by depot maintenance.

"Some bridges need structural rehabilitation which can only be implemented subject to budget availability," said Mcetywa.

Last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa, together with his cabinet, visited Joburg to discuss issues of service delivery in Gauteng.

In his closing remarks on Friday, Ramaphosa announced the appointment of  a presidential intervention team in Joburg.

“Road infrastructure faces tremendous challenges. These include vandalism of traffic lights, dysfunctional street lights and rapidly deteriorating roads and bridges. These are some of the challenges constraining growth in the country’s economic heartland.”

Mcetjwa said while JRA submits applications for budget increases, the funds it required cannot be guaranteed as the city is contending with an overall infrastructure backlog of R150bn.

DA spokesperson for transport in the City of Johannesburg Sean Kreusch said: "As a city councillor, and most of all as a ratepayer, I am appalled at the condition of our infrastructure and especially our bridges.

"The risk of many collapsing and taking a citizen's life is most alarming and [we] call on the city and MMC for transport [Kenny Kunene] to urgently deal with this crisis. Many of these bridges have been closed off, forcing people to travel further and be inconvenienced [and] straining our already difficult lives on top of the impact of downed signals."