The Weltevreden Parkway Bridge between Colorado Park and Samora Machel is being fixed.
The bridge, which is an access road which connects Colorado Park with Samora and Kosovo areas for both vehicular traffic and pedestrians, had become a crime hot spot according to the Colorado Residents’ and Ratepayers’ Association (CRRA) (“Weltevreden Parkway bridge vandalised, used as getaway by criminals”, Plainsman, June 15).
CRRA vice-chairwoman Jenny Daniels said the bridge was currently undergoing construction. “People have sand-mined (around) the bridge, broke copper and taken off parts of the metal railing. The City has appointed a contractor but in between that hijacking has still taken place. There is still a huge security risk and something must be done, either to close this bridge off or make it a walkway,” she said.
Ms Daniels said people taking sand from around the bridge had made it structurally unsound and that the road needed resurfacing.
“Our main concern was that the bridge would collapse because of the parts that were taken or destroyed,” she said.
Ward 75 councillor Joan Woodman said makeshift structures which had been built around the bridge, had been removed. Of those who had been living there, she said: “Not all of them were from the area, (and I’m) not sure where the others were from. Since we removed them, they were never back.”
She added that since construction started, there had been no criminal incidents at the bridge.
Constable Felicia Adams of Lentegeur SAPS confirmed this.
Rob Quintas, mayoral committee member for urban mobility said the City’s Roads Infrastructure Management (RIM) Department recently spent about R830 000 on backfilling the embankment after it had been dug open by illegal sand miners; footways were repaired after they were excavated for cable theft; and kerbs and edging as well as guard rails were repaired.
However, Mr Quintas added, the City had not repaired the railing on the bridge itself as the bridge belonged to the Western Cape Government and was therefore the responsibility of provincial government.