Trucking associations say logistics costs are expected to rise due to the detour route that has to be used following the partial collapse and closure of the Mbokodweni River Bridge on the N2 highway in KwaZulu-Natal. Picture Doctor Ngcobo/Independent Media
Trucking associations say logistics costs are expected to rise due to the detour route that has to be used following the partial collapse and closure of the Mbokodweni River Bridge on the N2 highway in KwaZulu-Natal.
One association also raised safety concerns.
The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (Sanral) said it was working on a temporary solution after the bridge suffered a partial collapse last week following heavy rains in KZN.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy, deputy Transport Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa and Sanral CEO Reginald Demana visited the site last Friday and promised to have a temporary solution by December.
Demana said preliminary findings suggest the damage to the bridge resulted from the failure of span four, caused by the malfunctioning of its bearings.
“What we have seen is that there is damage to the support pillar and the concrete bearings. As a temporary solution, we are going to use hydraulic jacks to lift the deck back to the same level as the other decks.”
Demana added that they aim to have traffic flowing again before the start of the festive season in December.
Gavin Kelly, CEO of the Road Freight Association (RFA), said since the bridge’s closure, traffic has been diverted through a detour via Prospecton.
“Traffic using the Prospecton road has been diverted to the KwaMakutha road to Amanzimtoti, through the KwaMakutha township, a route notorious for looting, slashing of curtain-sides and hijacking. This detour is approximately 6 kilometres in length.”
Kelly added that there will be heightened commercial vehicle traffic volumes.
“The association has requested that the SAPS and Metro Police provide a heightened presence along the detour while repairs to the bridge are carried out, which are likely to take at least two months.”
Mary Phadi, president of the Trucking Association of SA (TASA), said the rerouting will increase logistics costs.
“We commend Sanral for prioritising lives over convenience and we urge all stakeholders to continue working together to ensure safer roads for all.”
Malcolm Hartwell, Norton Rose Fulbright director and master mariner, said while the bridge’s closure would not have a major impact as it was not one of the main arteries for the country’s economy, it did highlight the importance of maintenance.
“There is an alternative route for the businesses that service the KZN South Coast, but it does highlight the importance of maintenance and the vulnerability of our logistics corridors, which, to a large degree, are now limited to roads rather than being roads and railways. This follows the virtual collapse of Transnet Rail and the resultant reliance by the logistics industry on the road networks.”
Hartwell added that maintenance seemed to be one of the first sacrifices when national, provincial and local governments were looking at spending.
“It is far too easy to ignore the critical need for maintenance when the road system is functional.
“The mindset appears to be that this is something that can be attended to next year.”
Hartwell said that they have made the point that all economies, and in particular one like South Africa’s which depends so heavily on exports and imports, need an efficient and cost-effective logistics infrastructure in order to thrive.
“Collapsed bridges mean diversions and sometimes lengthy closures, which are exacerbated by delays and cost overruns due to the government’s inefficiencies and contractor appointment policies.”
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