The City of Johannesburg has taken the decision to close the M2 motorway between the Crown Interchange and Maritzburg Street after serious concerns were raised around the structural integrity of some of its bridges.

In a statement released on Monday, Executive Mayor Herman Mashaba said that despite the City’s efforts to temporarily close and rehabilitate parts of the motorway’s bridges a full closure was necessary.

Not safe for motorists

This decision comes after a detailed assessment from a JRA appointed specialist revealed that the affected sections suffer from severe cracks and parts of the support structure have moved, ultimately affecting the structural stability of some bridges on the M2 motorway.

“The safety of the Selby Bridge cannot be guaranteed for continuous use by motorists and thus the decision for a closure of the M2 between Crown Interchange and Maritzburg Street is necessary,” Mashaba explained.

The closure, which will start from 28 February and remain in force up until the end of October 2019, will see 10 on-ramps closed, forcing commuters to use alternative routes, which the City has detailed on its website.

Infrastructure backlog

“Since coming into office, I have been concerned about the massive infrastructure backlog which was allowed to accumulate within the City. Indeed, previous administrations allowed for a R6.5 billion backlog in our bridge infrastructure,”Mashaba said.

“The overall acceptable Condition Indices for bridges in a very good and good condition should be minimum 80% – currently only 5.77% of City bridges are in this acceptable condition. 78.38% of City bridges are in a Poor or Very Poor condition. Since 2013, 37 bridges have collapsed during raining seasons,” he added.

​Mashaba highlighted the many of the City’s bridges were built in the 1960s and are now near the end of their design lifespan, requiring urgent reconstruction and rehabilitation.