Flood-prone Woodhouse Road bridge set for major overhaul

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15-05-2026
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The Witness
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The bridge upgrade forms part of broader infrastructure improvements linked to the ongoing N3 freeway upgrade project.

After years of fatal flooding incidents and repeated pleas from residents, Msunduzi Municipality is moving ahead with plans to upgrade the low-lying Woodhouse Road bridge.

The bridge upgrade forms part of broader infrastructure improvements linked to the ongoing N3 freeway upgrade project.

Preliminary designs, environmental approvals and engineering assessments have already been completed by consultants appointed by the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (Sanral).

The proposed works include the construction of a new three-span, 75m-long bridge over the Msunduzi River, the realignment and surfacing of a 510 m section of Woodhouse Road, the relocation of municipal services and upgrades to nearby intersections.

Msunduzi Municipality will contribute R30 million towards the project, while Sanral is expected to provide R9,4 million for 14 municipal properties affected by the N3 extension.

The remaining funding will come from the Municipal Infrastructure Grant.

The existing bridge has claimed several lives during heavy rains over more than a decade.

The municipality’s infrastructure services portfolio committee recently recommended that the City co-fund the long-awaited project alongside Sanral, which has already committed R30 million.

The recommendation was tabled at a recent executive committee meeting at City Hall, where councillors welcomed progress on the project.

According to the committee report, several incidents involving vehicles and pedestrians being swept away during flooding highlighted the urgent need for a safer and more resilient structure.

Among the tragedies linked to the crossing was a 2009 incident in which a vehicle carrying schoolchildren was swept away during heavy rains.

In another incident, motorists had to be rescued after their vehicles became trapped in floodwaters when the river overflowed the bridge.

“The low-level causeway over the Msunduzi River on Woodhouse Road has been the scene of various tragedies over recent years, and there have been numerous appeals to replace this dangerous structure,” the report stated.

Councillors across political parties supported the recommendation, which will now be submitted to the executive council for final approval.

Chairperson of the City’s infrastructure portfolio committee and Deputy Mayor Mxolisi Mkhize said three problematic low-lying bridges had caused major problems during heavy rains.