Nelson Mandela Bay's oldest bridge has undergone a four-million rand make-over.
Nelson Mandela Bay Executive mayor, Athol Trollip, on Monday officially opened the renovated Swartkops River Bridge, three months after it was closed for the face-lift.
Speaking to Algoa FM News, Trollip said the Swartkops bridge was built in 1897 after the Rawson bridge which spanned the river was washed away in a flood.
He said that a certain Mr Wild designed and built the bridge in England before the pieces were shipped to South Africa and the bridge constructed over the Swartkops River."
Trollip says there's anecdotal evidence to show how important the Swartkops bridge is to the economy of the area and also for our political past.
"A very important bridge, so much so that I met a local business person there today who said that while it had been closed for the last three months his business had declined by 43%. So, it has a very strong economic connection between the two banks of the River and also in the past it used to be the only bridge crossing the Swartkops River and one of the local ANC councillors was telling us today at the event that many people got arrested there by the security police during the apartheid era."
"It was the only way that they could cross over the River. So, very significant historical bridge in our city. It's been renovated and restored. It's been painted in a number of different colours to illustrate breast cancer awareness, HIV, the Green City, road safety as well as initiatives against poverty and hunger. It's been illuminated with beautiful LED lights. It will be lit up at night, multi-coloured bridge. It's been given a new lease on life for the next 15 to 20 years and the best thing about it is that it was completed on time."
Trollip says the new-look Swartkops Bridge has been painted in bright colours and was delivered on time.
"We said in three months time we want to open the bridge. We supposed to have opened it on Saturday but because it was the weekend we opened it today (Monday). We're very proud that the bridge is now open again and that people can use it for economic and recreational purposes and whatever purpose they need to use it for."
