Renewed concern over crumbling Jim Fouché Street bridge

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06-05-2025
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Vaal Weekblad
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Residents of Meyerton are concerned about further deterioration of the Jim Fouché Street bridge.

MEYERTON – Concerns about the structural integrity of the Jim Fouché bridge in Meyerton have resurfaced, following the recent opening of the nearby Riverstone Mall.

The new development has led to a significant increase in traffic volume, raising renewed fears about the bridge’s ability to handle the growing load – especially from heavy vehicles.

The bridge in Jim Fouché Street over the Klip River. Photo: Christiaan Cloete

Visible signs of deterioration

The bridge over the Klip River on Jim Fouché Street, was already flagged in 2022 and 2023 as a potential safety hazard.

Recent observations have shown further signs of deterioration, including erosion near the road’s edge.

During a visit to the bridge Vaalweekblad noticed a section of paving gave way underfoot, revealing a dangerous hollow beneath the road.

A deep trench on the side of the road also poses a serious threat to motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists.

A construction foreman, who worked on the adjacent mall, noted that storm water runoff from the center’s drainage channel flows directly toward the river parallel to the bridge.

This may have contributed to the erosion during heavy rainstorms earlier this year and the issue was reported to the Midvaal Local Municipality.

No remedial action seems to have been taken since, but the deep trench has now been cordoned off and warning signs put up.

Municipality calls for action by the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport

Midvaal’s MMC for Public Safety and Roads, Councillor Chantal Gomes, reiterated that the bridge is a provincial responsibility.

Gomes confirmed to Vaalweeblad that officials from the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport recently inspected the bridge.

According to Gomes the department undertook repairs in the 2025/26 provincial budget, which commenced on 1 April.

Despite this, local residents remain frustrated by the lack of visible action.

“Nobody wants to take responsibility – until someone gets hurt,” one resident warned.

Formal appeal to provincial authorities

After the initial Vaalweekblad article went to print, Gomes provided further documentation confirming that the municipality had taken formal steps to escalate the matter in April.

In a letter dated April 4 addressed to the Head of Department of the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport, Gomes urgently appealed for the rehabilitation of Bridge B1138.

According to the letter, a joint inspection on 18 March 2025 by municipal and provincial officials revealed severe erosion beneath the deck and on the sides of the bridge, extending across an entire lane.

Two yellow safety barriers had fallen into the hollowed section.

The letter also references a professional assessment conducted by Envirolution Consulting in January 2022.

"Nobody wants to take responsibility – until someone gets hurt…"

The report highlighted the structural risks and recommended immediate interventions, which include earth backfills, replacement of inlet and outlet drainage structures, installation of new guardrails and the construction of gabion walls downstream.

The letter warns that the current condition poses a significant risk to daily commuters and demands urgent provincial intervention before an accident occurs.

More bridges at risk

A second letter from Midvaal to the Gauteng Department of Roads, dated April 14, raises similar alarms about another bridge — popularly known as the “Salojees Bridge”— on the R551 in Henley on Klip.

That structure is also reportedly in a dangerously deteriorated state and requires immediate rehabilitation.