Ratepayer organisations in the south of Durban have raised concerns about the impact the collapsed Mbokodweni River Bridge on the N2 is having on their daily lives.
The bridge collapsed last week following heavy rains in KwaZulu-Natal and residents are concerned about traffic delays and the possible impact on tourism on the South Coast.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy, Deputy Transport Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa and the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (Sanral) CEO Reginald Demana visited the site on Friday and promised to have a temporary solution by December.
Recent rains in Durban caused infrastructure damage. eThekwini Municipality issued a level four warning on Sunday.
Dick Basday, president of the South Coast Chamber and Industry, said the collapse of the bridge is having a drastic impact on the lives of South Coast residents.
“The bridge collapse has caused a major diversion, and we are finding residents who are going to work being stuck in traffic for 90 to 120 minutes. A simple drive from Scottburgh or uMzinto to eManzimtoti or uMbogintwini means being stuck in traffic congestion.”
Basday added that driving at night poses dangers. “Residents are at risk from criminals if they are stuck in traffic congestion during the night. It also comes at the worst possible time when we are approaching the festive season.
This situation, as it stands, will have a negative impact on tourism on the South Coast.
A representative of the Umtentweni Residents’ and Ratepayers’ Association near Port Shepstone on the KZN South Coast said if the bridge does deteriorate further, it could also have a costly impact as alternative routes would have to be utilised.
“The South Coast Tourism Industry is once again affected by situations beyond its control. From ongoing water supply issues to E coli levels in some areas being far too high to violent storms that impacted the road system throughout the district, the latest news of the condition of the bridge is very worrisome to an already fragile tourism industry.”
A guest-house owner on the KZN South Coast, who declined to be named, said she has already experienced cancellations due to the bridge. “I have had a few cancellations for bookings at the end of last week and it’s definitely due to the Mbokodweni River Bridge.
“We can’t afford this because we are close to the festive season and bookings were looking good for the holidays. We already face so many challenges on the South Coast with water shortages and this is adding to the problems.”
Allison Schoeman, vice chairperson of eThekwini United Ratepayers, Business and Civics Organisation, said the association is concerned about the partial collapse of the Mbokodweni Bridge.
“This incident has already led to substantial delays, impacting residents and businesses, with traffic backups causing hours-long delays and affecting daily commutes and logistical operations essential to the region’s economy.”
Sanral’s Demana said preliminary findings suggest the damage to the bridge resulted from the failure of span four of the bridge, which was caused by the malfunctioning of its bearings.
“What we have seen is that there is damage to the support pillar and the concrete bearings. As a temporary solution, we are going to use hydraulic jacks to lift the deck back to the same level as the other decks.”
Demana added that they aim to have the traffic flow again before the start of the festive season in December.