Heritage Cases

Eskia Mphahlele Drive is a Class 2 road which serves as a major arterial route of critical importance which links the north-eastern areas of the City of Tshwane with the Inner City and further south. It is used by commuters from Ga-Rankuwa, Soshanguve, Mabopane and further on a daily basis to commute between home and work. The existing bridge at Louis De Vaal Interchange (Eskia Mphahlele) is a 92m long reinforced concrete road-over-road bridge that consists of nine spans, with the spans varying in length from 12,4m to 13,9m. The bridge is in a poor condition. The bridge is more than 40 years old and has significant corrosion related defects and is in a general state of neglect and disrepair. The damage has affected the durability and will, if left unattended, in a short time affect the normal use and carrying capacity of bridge. The structural integrity of the bridge deck has been compromised by extensive corrosion induced damage to the ribs of the deck slab and to the bearing surfaces on the column cap beam. The drainage system on the bridge deck is not efficient which also contributes to the corrosion problem. The current low water crossing over the Apies River is incapable of handling a flood event with a return period of more than 2 years and as such, the crossing along Flower Street is frequently overtopped making it unsafe for commuters to cross during instances of heavy rainfall. The opening under the bridge structure is prone to blockages from debris flowing downstream which contributes to the inability of the bridge structure to handle the water flow during storm events. The area immediately south of the hydraulic opening of the river crossing is, furthermore, silted up which exacerbates the stormwater problems experienced. The current traffic volumes experienced at the Louis de Vaal Interchange is exceeding the capacity of the Interchange. This is evident from frequent traffic congestion experienced during peak hour traffic specifically from commuters travelling from an east-to-west and west-to-east (Van der Hof Road to Flower Street and vice versa) direction. This may be contributed to the various control points in the current intersection configuration. The development of a suitable solution, therefore, consists of a three-pronged approach as follows: • Resolution of the deteriorated Eskia Mphahlele Drive bridge structure. • Resolution of the Apies River low water bridge structure overtopping. • Resolution of the current interchange configuration resultant traffic congestion. It is important to note, a wetland area is located along the Flower Street low lying bridge structure towards the east of Eskia Mphahlele Drive. This bridge falls within the watercourse area and as a result, within an Ecological Support Area; this is being applied for in this application. The areas outside the watercourse do not trigger any listed activities and are thus not being applied for in this application (Eskia Mphahlele Drive bridge and interchange). The City of Tshwane is mandated to provide road infrastructure and stormwater management in the city. The project shall assist in achieving the performance areas as identified by the Local Municipality, namely growth in the region and creation of more employment opportunities as well as through the improvement of public services and broadening access to communities and thereby improving quality of living which is further aligned with achieving the goal of opportunity in terms of economic growth and employment which also entails access to basic services, social infrastructure and quality environment. Furthermore, the Municipality aims to achieve inclusivity which aims to integrate communities and improve transport corridors and human settlements. Therefore the upgrade of the road infrastructure is a critical matter that directly and indirectly affects people’s lives across the nation, the region and globally. The low lying bridge is being crossed in its current state which is unsafe for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.