It was jovial atmosphere at the reopening of the M4 bridge which was damaged during the flood in April, cutting off the connection between a number of communities in the north of Durban area including La Mercy, Seatides and Tongaat.
Those using the bridge to commute were left with little option of getting across and forced to use other means of travel or take different routes to work and back. Tashya Giyapersad, the vice chairperson of the La Mercy Ratepayers and Civic Association, said the damage to the bridge was not just of the support structures but the northbound lane was also affected by the flash floods.
She said: “Those who use the bridge are not just from Seatides and La Mercy but include the communities of Desainagar, Westbrook and Tongaat. That’s about 20 000 people moving up and down the north coast at any given time.”
She said the bridge was repaired by the Department of Transport (DOT) and the South African National Defence Force. “The funding was done primarily by the DoT as well as the community who rallied together to generate some money. We are happy to report that the offices of the premier and the MEC for Community Safety and Liaison Peggy Nkonyeni was physically on site on more than one occasion offering real support,” added Giyapersad.
She said the restoration of the bridge took a long time, from the discussions and planning to physical work. “During this time alternate arrangements were made and Genazzano Road in Seatides was utilised. However, this road also experienced damages such as sinkholes and had a single lane access for all residents. It has been an incredibly difficult period. Traffic is backed up at all any hour of the day. On average it took people two hours extra to travel per day. Already the cost of living and price of petrol is unaffordable for the average South African so we truly welcome the reopening of this bridge.”
Giyapersad confirmed that the engineers working for the government, as well as those from the community were involved in its reconstruction and supervision. She said: “Many in the community grew frustrated due to the time it took to open the bridge, however there has been no compromise in the perspective of value and safety. We can also rest assured that the community will safely be able to use the bridge daily which will assist in the lessening of travel time as well as the need for petrol.”
KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Sihle Zikalala thanked the community of La Mercy for standing together since the time of the floods to the completion of the bridge. He said: “There were many communities affected by the destruction brought about by the floods. Seatides needed to accommodate the community of La Mercy passing through their area. UMhloti also suffered immensely with houses completely destroyed. However, the KZN government is dealing with other interventions as well. One being the completion of this bridge, the road at Boy’s Town and the relocation of flood victims currently housed in community halls. The next project we will be working on is the bridge between Westbrook and Ballito. None of us prepared for such a disaster and therefore blaming each other does not work. We need to collaborate, unite and rebuild. The reopening of the bridge has stimulated the spirit of Ubuntu.”
At the reopening of the bridge, there was singing and dancing with community members also joining in on the fanfare by performing the Jerulsalema Challenge.
