After years of complaints about the danger posed by the pedestrian bridge over the N17 in Van Dyk Park, construction work to repair the bridge has finally begun.
Although Sanral has not yet responded to the Boksburg Advertiser’s request for further information on the scope of the project, the magazine visited the area again on August 15 and found contractor Khavhakone Construction in the midst of repair works.
This damage reportedly occurred when a vehicle struck one of the concrete beams, damaging the support column and the roadway slab, causing it to tilt, leaving pedestrians with no safe alternative to cross the highway.
The damaged section on the north side of the bridge was reported to Sanral in April 2022, but the repair processes were stuck in delays in engaging a contractor.
Even when a contractor was subsequently appointed, work was again delayed due to lawsuits against the highway authority’s controversial preferential procurement (PPP) policy.
This prompted the agency to reverse its controversial tendering policy, a move that required a new tender, leading to significant delays in repairing the bridge.
