City probes Sandton bridge accident
16 October 2015
Johannesburg Executive Mayor Councillor Parks Tau spent most of yesterday (Thursday October 15) visiting people who were injured and paying his condolences to the families of those who died when scaffolding on the Great Walk Bridge on Grayston Drive in Sandton collapsed on Wednesday afternoon.
Two people were killed and 21 others were injured on Tuesday when the scaffolding supporting the construction of a foot bridge across the M1 freeway between Sandton and Alexandra collapsed, leading to the closure of traffic in both directions.
The freeway was reopened at about 3pm yesterday, almost 24 hours after the accident took place. At a press conference yesterday, Mayoral Spokesperson Phindile Chauke announced that the City of Johannesburg had launched its own investigation into the accident.
The City’s investigation is one of five that have been launched into the accident. The others will be conducted by the contractor Murray & Roberts; the Department of Labour; the South African Police Service; and the Engineering Council of South Africa.
“Everything at the moment as to what happened is speculation,” Chauke said.
Mayor Tau visited the scene of the accident on Wednesday moments after it had happened and promised that the City would take action against anyone found to have been negligent.
He, however, said the construction of the foot bridge, to cater for 10 000 Alexandra residents who walk or cycle to and from Sandton daily, would resume at a later stage. The bridge, scheduled to be officially opened in October 2016, forms part of the City’s EcoMobility vision. It is part of the Rea Vaya Phase 1C infrastructure project and the Louis Botha Corridor.
The 250m-long concrete bridge will have an 8m deck that will accommodate both pedestrians and cyclists. The pedestrian and cycling lanes will be 3m wide, each with a 2m wide barrier in the middle to accommodate landscaping features. Public art that tells the history of Alexandra will be displayed alongside the bridge.