By Nikita Chiniah
Residents and businesses rallied together to repair the Pompeni Bridge after it had been completely damaged following the torrential rains and floods experienced in the province a few weeks ago. The catastrophe caused by floods left many areas without proper infrastructure with bridges that once linked areas not being accessible due to the major damages.
The Pompeni Bridge links Shallcross to Blundell Road. Many residents joined forces to assist physically, while others were essential in providing refreshments which resulted in the project being successfully completed on Sunday, 8 May. Spokesperson for Project Pompeni, Dawn Gounden said that breaking barriers against all odds and an amazing team of community members from Shallcross Wards 71/ 63 and members of Oaks and Blundell Road worked effortlessly and efficiently to repair the bridge.
“Residents now have access to the Pompeni Bridge. The project was strategically planned and funds were raised through businesses and the community at large. Through hours of hard work, dedication, commitment and a handful of skilled professionals who gave direction were involved in the restoration of this near impossible task based on the timeframe. Machinery was sponsored by private companies who had seen the vision of the team. Support from the Shallcross community was phenomenal. Such a project usually takes weeks to complete but the team had worked day and night in order for the restoration to be complete. This assists residents in reducing high fuel bills and saving time in comparison to using alternate routes. The team is pleased with the outcome. Kudos to all the members of the business fraternity who helped and to the community members who assisted,” she said.
Residents who frequently use the bridge, posted on social media groups to express their gratitude and appreciation to the people who were instrumental in repairing the bridge. Meena Govender, a Shallcross resident who uses the bridge daily to commute to her workplace in the Durban Central area said that she is grateful to all members instrumental in reconstructing the bridge.
“Prior to the bridge being repaired I was forced to use an alternate route through Burlington Drive or via the Link Road into Higginson Highway whenever there was protest action on Burlington Drive. The support from businesses and community members made a great difference in my life as well as the lives of hundreds of other commuters who use the bridge daily. My two and a half hour travel time to work was cut down to 30 minutes,” she said.
