By Levy Masiteng
eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba on Tuesday officially unveiled the R71 million Blundell Bridge and Road infrastructure project, marking a key milestone in the city’s efforts to rebuild and strengthen infrastructure damaged during the devastating 2022 KwaZulu-Natal floods.
The project includes about 450 metres of newly constructed roadway and a 90-metre-long, 14-metre-wide bridge featuring two traffic lanes and dedicated pedestrian walkways.
The municipality said the bridge provides a vital link between the communities of Shallcross and Queensburgh and forms part of Durban’s southern road network.
The previous low-level crossing was destroyed during the April 2022 floods when the uMhlathuzana River burst its banks, cutting off access for residents and forcing motorists to use alternative routes.
“We will ensure that all infrastructure can withstand future flooding and severe weather conditions. We are building climate-resilient infrastructure. This bridge has been designed to withstand storms with a one-in-100-year return period,” Xaba said.
According to the municipality, the old crossing was narrow, lacked pedestrian facilities and modern safety features, and was highly vulnerable to flooding. Residents had also raised concerns about traffic congestion and safety risks, particularly during periods of heavy rain.
Xaba said delivering the project in-house enabled the city to fast-track construction while reducing costs.
“By undertaking this work internally, we not only accelerated delivery by approximately two years, but also achieved savings of about R10 million in professional fees,” he said, commending the municipality’s Engineering Directorate.
The municipality said the project was completed within two years and achieved its target of 30% community participation, with about R16 million awarded to local companies.
Construction also created employment for an average of 20 people a month over the 16-month construction period.
The Blundell Bridge is one of several infrastructure projects restored through municipal funding and allocations from the National Disaster Relief Fund following the 2022 floods, which caused widespread destruction across KwaZulu-Natal, claiming hundreds of lives and damaging critical roads, bridges and other public infrastructure.
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