Major bridges in South Africa’s largest city at risk of collapse
Authorities have warned that ongoing illegal excavations beneath bridges along the M1 and M2 motorways could lead to infrastructure failure if left unchecked.
While this is a major concern and the bridges are at risk, engineers have noted that the bridges remain safe for now.
This is the feedback from Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) CEO Zweli Nyathi, who stressed that illegal excavations of bricks and sand underneath the city’s bridges are a serious concern.
In an interview with 702 Drive, Nyathi explained that the JRA recently conducted assessments of bridges along both the M1 and M2.
This followed what officials described as“an alarming number of people living beneath the structures and evidence that material was being removed from around their foundations.
“Yesterday we embarked on an assessment, especially of the infrastructure around M1 and M2,” Nyathi said.
“We have seen that some bricks are now missing, and they’re starting to even mine the sand, which is part of the embankment and support structure of the bridges.”
He explained that the inspection covered multiple bridges rather than a single site, including structures near End Street and Anderson Street on the M2.
While images of the excavation have raised fears that the bridges could collapse, Nyathi stressed that engineers who accompanied the inspection found the structures themselves remain safe for now.
“The bridge itself, the support structure is the pillars and the steel rods that are beneath the surface,” he said.
“The structure itself is still intact. It’s just that if there is this continuous digging, the vagrants might end up now wanting to cut the steel and other things and go underneath.”
Nyathi said officials also discovered people living in excavated holes beneath the bridges, where they could access underground infrastructure and services.
“There are some people who are staying in the holes, and on those bridges, it makes it easy to access some of the networks or services underneath the city,” he said.
“I can assure the citizens that the bridges are structurally sound. We had a lot of engineers with us yesterday, but the continuous excavation and damage might lead to infrastructure collapse. So that’s what we’re trying to avoid.”
Security patrols may be needed to protect the bridges
He acknowledged that the extensive excavation appears to have taken place over a significant period.
“The infrastructure is under attack there. It’s not only just the bridge; they’re looking for cables, and there are guardrails missing on top,” Nyathi said.
The JRA has already deployed teams to carry out urgent mitigation work after identifying immediate safety risks, including missing guardrails that could cause vehicles to leave the roadway.
Asked whether permanent security may be needed to protect the bridges, Nyathi said the option is being considered.
“If it needs to happen that way, we’ll have to do it. We don’t have a choice because it might be costly to fix the infrastructure, and it might even cost lives, compared to paying security to be deployed there,” he said.
He added that officials encountered armed and aggressive individuals, including suspected illegal miners, during the inspection.
“That’s what we were confronted with yesterday when we were doing assessments, and some of them looked very armed and aggressive. We had to call for backup.”
Although Nyathi said motorists can continue using the affected roads with confidence for now, he warned that the situation is deteriorating and requires urgent action.
Damage to M2 Bridge – photos
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