Municipal spokesperson Idah Satikhe says the department conducted assessment tests and determined that the bridge was safe to use. 

This comes after the municipality wrote to the department's MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela.

“The municipality had to put the traffic cones just so that drivers couldn’t drive near the edge. Unfortunately, the bride and the road itself fall under [the] province, we had to write to the MEC so she could send somebody to fix that,” says Satikhe. 

In April 2022, residents and motorists of the Midvaal Local Municipality raised concerns after a crack appeared on the bridge running across the Klip River. They feared the crack could pose a serious risk to public safety during the rainy season.

However, Midvaal Member of the Mayoral Committee (MCC) for Engineering Gerrit Viljoen said the bridge will not cause accidents.

ALSO READ: Concerns raised over cracked bridge in Midvaal

Satikhe says the department will have a second assessment done to see whether the bridge poses any public safety risks. 

In the meantime, residents are free to use the road and the bridge.

“In the coming weeks, they will have another assessment just to double check and then if there is an immediate risk following the second assessment, they will fix it. But, they do plan on maintaining it and doing some work there,” Satikhe added.

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