Roadworks on Modderfontein Road bridge cause chaos
20-11-2024
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Bedfordview and Edenvale News
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The situation needs to be addressed before something worse happens.
Ongoing road works on the southern bridge of Modderfontein Road continue to frustrate community members raising questions about what work is being done and when it will be completed.
Inyoni Creek residents Shirley Pein and Lyonell Fliss highlighted their concerns regarding the lack of visible work and questioned why concrete and plastic barriers had been left along the road and bridge.
The barriers line Modderfontein Road southbound and narrow the two-lane road into one lane while crossing the bridge.
In some locations where collisions between vehicles and the barriers occurred, the road is narrowed even further by barriers hindering the flow of traffic.
Motorists merging into one lane before Modderfontein Road’s southbound bridge.
According to Fliss, a qualified civil engineer, road works at the location started approximately three years ago.
He said the project restarted and stopped several times before coming to a halt.
Last year the NEWS reported that the upstream gabion works installed on the south bridge single cell were extended.
The project stemmed from the need to increase the cell capacity to accommodate the river flowing below.
In previous years there were instances where the river overflowed and flooded onto the deck of the bridge damaging infrastructure.
According to Fliss, the project should have been prioritised to ensure its swift completion and to reduce the disturbance to road users.
Pein said despite how busy Modderfontein Road is, it feels as if the project was abandoned.
Another matter Fliss raised about the project was his concerns that it was not done correctly.
In his opinion more signs, alerting motorists to the construction, needed to be erected to ensure motorists are aware of the road works and narrowing lanes.
“If something goes wrong people could easily be injured or even killed,” said Pein.
Fliss said last year he was involved in a collision near the bridge when another motorist allegedly rear-ended him.
“I was driving near the bridge where the lanes started narrowing into one and another motorist collided with the back of my car. My boot was damaged and one of my rear tyres too.”
Fliss’ car which was rendered un-driveable and needed to be towed away.
He said the damages incurred cost him over R20 000.
Fliss said two months ago another collision between a truck and one of the concrete barriers occurred. He said when this happened the barrier shifted into the already narrow lane.
Inyoni Creek residents Shirley Pein and Lyonell Fliss highlighted concerns regarding the lack of visible work and questioned why concrete and plastic barriers had been left along Modderfontein Road and its southbound bridge.
“These are only the collisions that I know of but there may have been several others,” said Fliss.
He said despite the number of collisions that have already occurred, the situation needs to be addressed before something worse happens.
A request for comment was sent to the Johannesburg Roads Agency on November 14 requesting comment by November 15 at 12:00.
JRA acknowledged the request for comment and stated that comment would be provided as soon as possible.
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