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People will no longer have to run across
the busy highway, risking life and limb, following the opening of the Orange
Farm Pedestrian Bridge.
WITH over a thousand pedestrians from the
township of Orange Farm crossing the N1-19 daily, the South African National
Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) decided to put up a pedestrian bridge across the
busy highway.
Crossing the bridge: the official opening of the Orange Farm Pedestrian Bridge
Pedestrians will no longer have to run across
the busy road, according to a media release issued by Priya Pillay, the corporate
communications manager at Sanral.
The Orange Farm Pedestrian Bridge was
officially opened on 17 November by Bheki Nkosi, the Gauteng MEC for roads and transport. It was opened in
support of World Day of Remembrance for all road traffic victims.
This pedestrian bridge was a legacy for the
community and its future generations, as it would help ensure a route across
the freeway, said Nazir Alli, the chief executive of Sanral, in the media
release.
"Road safety is everyone's responsibility,"
he added.
According to the release, the agency realised
that it had the ability to influence journeys and the way pedestrians crossed
roads, which would ultimately determine the success of its interventions.
It thus engaged communities living next to
national roads to find suitable solutions to specific pedestrian needs.
During construction of the Orange Farm
bridge, jobs opportunities were created for local residents. Provisions were
also made for cyclists and disabled people, who would be helped across the
bridge by being wheeled over the ramps.
It is a steel structured bridge, which is
slightly curved and includes a triangular shaped beam made up of structural
steel hollow sections. The curve frame has a large top central circular
element. The V-pattern side bars are tapered from top to bottom,
while the bottom chords consist of two circular elements that are spaced
approximately 3,8 metres apart.
Centred in this width, two channels have
been placed at 2,5 metres for the walkway. The deck consists of a 100mm thick
slab. The bridge is enclosed using a galvanised steel mesh with a height of 2,4
metres on the sides.
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