Transport Minister Dipuo Peters has called on authorities to conduct a “thorough investigation” into the collapse of the “Great Walk” bridge, which was under construction over the M1 freeway near Sandton.
Peters appealed for “calm and patience” while the highway remains closed to allow investigations to continue and the clean-up operations to be completed.
The structure erected to enable the construction of a pedestrian bridge over the M1 freeway at the Grayston Drive off-ramp collapsed on Wednesday killing two and injuring 23.
The bridge,named the Great Walk, was due to be completed by the end of the month. It was being constructed for the estimated 10 000 pedestrians who cross the Grayston off-ramp from Alexandra to Sandton and vice versa daily.
Construction company Murray and Roberts, the Department of Labour and the City of Johannesburg have launched investigations to determine the exact cause of the incident.
Peters on Thursday said there was a need to unearth the reasons behind the tragic incident in order to prevent a recurrence in the future.
She said the construction of the bridge was an important aspect of the overall development of economic infrastructure currently underway to improve access to Sandton.
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