GQEBERHA – More than four months after stormy weather damaged a section of the William Moffett Expressway bridge near Walmer Park, rehabilitation of the roadway is now planned for October.

One lane has remained closed to traffic since the damage occurred in May, continuing to affect motorists using the busy route.

The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has earmarked October for the rehabilitation but has not yet confirmed an exact start date. It also says no contractor has been appointed.

William Moffett repairs could start mid-October

Ward 6 councillor Gert Engelbrecht said work could begin around the middle of October.

In a social media post, Engelbrecht said he had met with contractors at the site and had been advised that work was expected to commence around mid-October.

“This morning I met with the contractors on site to engage with them regarding the way forward and the anticipated commencement of the work,” Engelbrecht said. “I was advised that the current expectation is for work to commence around the middle of October.”

Engelbrecht said he would have preferred to see the work begin sooner, given the importance of the bridge and the impact the current situation had on residents and road users.

He said consultations were still taking place with the relevant municipal departments regarding services in the area, while engagement with Environmental Affairs was also required before work could begin.

“I have raised my concerns with the relevant officials and will continue engaging with the municipality to see if the process can be expedited and whether there is any opportunity to bring the commencement date forward,” he said.

Contractor needs to be appointed

Municipal spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya confirmed to the PE Express that the municipality was planning to commence rehabilitation works in October, but said an estimated start date could not yet be confirmed because various processes still needed to be completed.

“No contractor has been appointed yet,” Soyaya said.

He added that the municipality was consulting with internal and external stakeholders, while planning approvals still needed to be concluded before construction could begin.

“Given the complexity of the project, all planning approvals, including those involving Environmental Affairs, must be concluded before construction can commence,” Soyaya said.

“The rehabilitation involves a myriad of bulk services and traffic accommodation requirements, which must be carefully planned and managed.”

William Moffett project funding and costs

The project will be funded through the municipality’s internal funding sources, but the municipality did not provide the amount allocated or indicate when the funding was approved.

Soyaya said the final project cost remained subject to the conclusion of scoping work, while the expected construction duration had also not yet been confirmed.

“The Municipality is working to mitigate these complexities to ensure the shortest practical construction timeframe,” he said.

Further details on the confirmed start date, appointed contractor, final project cost and expected construction duration would be communicated once they had been finalised.

“The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality understands the importance of William Moffett Road to mainstream economic activity and the daily lives of residents,” Soyaya said.

“We are working hard to balance the time required to appoint a contractor, commence and complete the rehabilitation works with the finer detail of the project requirements, including regulatory processes that must be observed.”

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