Bridge to Umhlanga

The daily reality for the Blackburn community as they made their way from their homes to work in Umhlanga Ridge was the gauntlet they had to run crossing the increasingly busy national road. Many pedestrians have lost their lives in this way in recent years.

The South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) through its community development programme reacted to this unacceptable situation by planning a unique new pedestrian bridge and walkway.  The Blackburn Pedestrian Bridge is now an icon on visitors’ route from the new King Shaka International Airport to Durban.

At the bridge site a natural ravine separates the two carriageways of the N2 and the 180 metre gap posed a unique challenge. SANRAL commissioned SSI Engineers and Environmental Consultants to conceive a solution. The elegant new cable stayed structure was judged to be the most cost effective and aesthetically pleasing out of the options considered.

JT Ross/Devru Construction JV were the successful tenderer, but the community of Blackburn were involved every step of the way. From the early consultations about the project to the sixty members of the community who were employed in the construction process it has met SANRAL’s requirements for a community project. An innovative feature incorporated into the bridge is the hand prints of the children on the panels along the walkway, which provides a sense of ownership of the bridge to the community.

The original planning for the bridge featured conventional lighting with high power demands. However recent developments in highly efficient LED lighting which have come to the market during the construction of the bridge has allowed the engineers not only to provide effective lighting for the pedestrians, but also architectural colour lighting of the pylon to enhance the dramatic nature of this unique bridge.

–    This article first appeared in the Business in Durban magazine

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