Civil Engineering November 2022 | Vol 30 No 10

34 November 2022 Civil Engineering F or a long time the R328 (TR33/2) at Brandwacht, Mossel Bay, was a dangerous road for pedestrians to cross. Residents and schoolchildren would cross the busy road at grade, where vehicles travel at high speed. What’s more, the vertical and horizontal alignment of the road affected forward visibility and stopping sight distance, which created a life-threatening hazard that the community had to face daily. The Mossel Bay Municipality wanted to build a pedestrian bridge that would improve road safety for the residents of Brandwacht, particularly schoolchildren, and benefit individuals from the community that might live with financial constraints. So, in July 2015, Royal HaskoningDHV (RHDHV) helped the municipality to apply for Municipality Infrastructure Grant (MIG) funding, which would supplement municipal funds in the construction of a pedestrian bridge over the R328 (TR33/2). The application was approved, and on 4 April 2018 the Mossel Bay Municipality appointed RHDHV for the design, procure- ment, and construction supervision of the Brandwacht Pedestrian Bridge. The local school principal and commu- nity leaders were consulted to agree on the best location for the bridge so that it would be supported and used by the community. Construction commenced in September 2020 and was completed in October 2021, within budget. QUALITY ENGINEERING State-of-the-art software and digital tools were used on this project for the visualisations, design, 3D modelling, and production of working drawings. The formwork for the bridge deck con- struction was pre-assembled off site where the client could see the formwork, check the quality, and plan the erection and assembly for increased productivity and quality of the finishes. This approach also ensured minimal disruption to traffic. More about the bridge: Q Q The reinforced concrete bridge structure comprises a three-span continuous varying depth T-beam. Q Q The bridge crosses the R328 with a 16.6 m central span and 12.59 m jack spans. Q Q The bridge is perpendicular to the road with a deck depth of 1 m at the columns and the midspan and abut- ments with a deck depth of 0.65 m. Q Q The deck has a minimum vertical clearance to the deck soffit of 6 m. Q Q The horizontal clearance is 3 m from the shoulder to the concrete piers on the R328. Q Q The deck width between kerbs is 2 m. Q Q Polycrete handrails were provided to a minimum height of 1 m. Q Q The western landing consists of a 1:8 ramp and staircase access to provide accessibility from the northern and southern approaches. Q Q The eastern landing terminates at the existing ground level. A security screen was provided at the request of the Western Cape Government (WCG), which owns the R328, and as a prerequisite of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Mossel Bay Municipality and the WCG. The screen was designed so that it became a feature of the bridge. Smooth curves were added to give the impression SANRAL SA I CE 2022 Nat i onal Awards Category: Commun i t y- based Brandwacht Pedestrian Bridge COMMENDED Community-based category KEY PLAYERS Client: Mossel Bay Municipality Consultant: Royal HaskoningDHV Contractor: EMPA Structures The completed Brandwacht Pedestrian Bridge