The new pedestrian bridge over the N1 at
Erasmusrand will soon be ready for use by pedestrians and cyclists near
Hoërskool Waterkloof, in Pretoria, says
the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral).
The bridge, which was built in under 20 hours over
this past weekend, only needs to have the in situ concrete deck
cast, which will take about a month, the agency notes.
The bridge, which cost about R22.3-million, is
expected to remain standing for decades, considering that Sanral’s bridge
management system ensures proper
inspection, it adds.
Sanral Northern Region manager Progress Hlahla says the
agency is hopeful that this new bridge will reduce incidences of pedestrians
being knocked down on the highway.
“The new bridge has been in design to
replace an old damaged one which was demolished in May 2016 [owing to] to safety concerns.
Its elegant structure, with an arched steel plate girder substructure and a
cast in situ concrete deck, has
been engineered to international standards with pedestrians and cyclists in
mind,” Sanral project manager Alan Agaienz points out.
He adds that the structure was erected in two
separate sections and welded in the middle to create the permanent structure.
“The temporary middle support pier will be removed
after 28 days when the concrete in the
deck has cured. This design was chosen out of five
possible options because it was the most cost effective and aesthetically
pleasing solution,” he explains.
The bridge was designed to be manufactured off-site and to be self-supporting without any central pier in the median. http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/n1-highway-pedestrian-bridge-to-be-ready-for-use-soon-2019-04-15
