Onlookers watch as the crane tackles the concrete slabs of the new bridge across Kingsway Road

RELATED LINKS: No more dodge 'em for students IN A bid to make getting to lectures on time easier and safer, the University of Johannesburg is building a pedestrian bridge across the busy Kingsway Road at its Auckland Park campus. Read more The Mandela Bridge ride to Newtown HERE are the directions: proceed along Jan Smuts Avenue towards the CBD. As you top the crest in Braamfontein, take a big breath - the majestic Nelson Mandela Bridge is straight ahead of you. Read more Top awards for Joburg landmarks NELSON Mandela Bridge and the Constitutional Court have been recognised for their outstanding and innovative building techniques, both winning Fulton Awards. Read more

The first of two giant slabs is put in place on the new Kingsway Bridge

Bridge building stops traffic Kingsway Road in Auckland Park was closed to traffic on Saturday, but pedestrians lined up to see how bridges are built. January 23, 2006 By Tshepiso Seopa WHILE most people were still lazing over a weekend morning, by 9am on Saturday, 21 January, construction workers, engineers and architects were hard at work putting in the massive, 120-ton carriage slabs on the three pillars of the new Kingsway Bridge across Kingsway Road, in Auckland Park. The second slabs of the 32,2m long bridge were put in position by 4pm. The R8-million pedestrian bridge links the University of Johannesburg's Kingsway campus with its parking lot across the busy Kingsway Road. It is expected to make life easier and safer for students. Martin du Rand, the director of engineering company Stefannutti and Bresson Civils, says, ''It has been a challenging job but we are happy with the progress that we have made this far.'' ''The positioning of the two carriageway slabs worked well, according to plan, as well as the final assembling of the various components of the bridge.'' Kingsway Road might have been closed to traffic during the final assembling of the bridge, but that did not stop people from coming to witness how a bridge is built. ''This exciting property development project will come to fruition to the joy and the pride of the university,'' says Herman Esterhuizen, of the media relations and integrated communication management division in the university's marketing, communication and strategic partnership unit. ''The engineers and architects are working closely to ensure that everything works well and that all is on target ahead of the official opening by the vice-chancellor, Derrick van der Merwe, in February.'' The bridge will lead students and visitors past the roof structure garden of the art gallery complex and has views into the arts court, theatre lobby and gallery. It is likely that the bridge will become a popular route to the university's new theatre and arts centre. Stainless steel lampposts will illuminate the gently curved bridge by night, making it visible from as far as the SABC building in Auckland Park. Permission to use web site material Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as: Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website (www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency (www.joburg.org.za)"; If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original article on this website; The name of the article's author is acknowledged; The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill in this brief online form). Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 Print this Page E-mail this article to a friend Help using Joburg.org.za