Minister of Transport statement following his visit to the site on the N3 where a pedestrian bridge collapsed
The Minister of Transport, Mr Joe Maswanganyi, has this morning visited the site on the N3 where an unused pedestrian bridge collapsed in the early hours of 9 August.
The incident had resulted in a full closure of the N3 north and southbound between the M2 Gildenhuys and N3 Gillooly’s interchanges.
Minister Maswanganyi said government was relieved that no fatalities had occurred. "We are however saddened that five people were injured, three seriously with one in a critical condition. On behalf of government, we wish those who were injured a speedy recovery. Through our agencies, we shall reach out to them to offer the necessary assistance", said Minister Maswanganyi.
A forensic investigation to determine the cause of the collapse is underway. The Minister appealed that the investigation should be allowed to take place and discouraged any uninformed speculation as to the cause of the bridge collapse.
Following a briefing Minister Maswanganyi received from SANRAL, the Ekurhuleni Metro and officials from the Gauteng Provincial Government and assurances about the safety of the road, he has declared the road now open.
"I commend SANRAL for the work it has done in clearing the debris in as short a period of time as possible. This has ensured that we minimize the disruption of traffic flow on a route with an average daily traffic of 200 000 vehicles. Delays in opening the road would have greatly inconvenienced thousands of motorists and delayed the movement of freight on what is one of our busiest roads in Gauteng,” said Minister Maswanganyi.
Minister Maswanganyi also commends all officials from the three spheres of government for the cooperation they displayed from the time the incident was reported and during the rescue and clearing operations. “Their display of cooperative governance was admirable,” he said.
Enquiries:
Ishmael Mnisi
Cell: 072 566 0827
