Durban — The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport has temporarily repaired the uMkhomazi River pedestrian bridge that went viral on social media.
On Monday, the department said it had moved promptly to provide temporary relief to safeguard the lives of pupils and community members who were crossing the dangerous uMkhomazi river at Ubuhlebezwe.
The department said that last week the bridge went viral on social media with pupils from nearby schools fearing for their lives, crossing the damaged bridge with no handrails. The pedestrian bridge is among many projects that were damaged by the floods in KZN.
It said the department’s engineering team came up with an innovation that would provide a temporary safe crossing.
“The handrails were installed over the weekend. It is now safe for learners and community members to cross the bridge,” the department said.
“The engineering team is working to find a permanent solution to the bridge, and once all the investigations, designs and budgeting are complete, the department will outline the new plans and timelines.”
Last week, the Daily News reported that the KZN government had failed to repair a footbridge near Ezulwini, which was damaged in the April floods, putting people’s lives at risk.
The footbridge is also a crossing point for members of the community and children attending Ezulwini Combined School.
Some of the pupils complained about the state of the bridge, saying they sometimes had to avoid going to school when there had been heavy rain.
There have been reports that members of the community have drowned while trying to cross the flood-prone uMkhomazi River, using the bridge.
The matric pupils decried the fact that they had sometimes been forced to sleep at strangers’ homes if the bridge area was flooded after heavy rains.
Daily News