KZN's Umzimkhulu River Bridge closed for repairs following heavy rains

DURBAN - The Umzimkhulu River Bridge on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast has been officially closed for repairs following damage from heavy rains that caused floods.

On Monday morning, the provincial transport department announced that the bridge would close in the afternoon.

The south coast is one of many areas badly affected by previous floods in the province.

The bridge, which was built in the 1950s, was used to connect various communities on the south coast to the Port Shepstone CBD.

Transport spokesperson, Ndabezinhle Sibiya, said: "The bridge was built using the old system of caisson that is why you'll now see the piers rotating which now compromises the integrity of the entire bridge and the motorists and members of the public are now exposed to dangerous conditions."

He said that millions of rands had been set aside for this project.

"We have also indicated that more than R190 million has been set aside for the repair of the bridge which will then ensure its durability."

The department said motorists will have to use the N2 highway as an alternative.