Name and Location:

Hanger Street Bridge, Bloemfontein, Free State

 

Client:

Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality

 

Project Description:

This tapering steel-box-girder-spine bridge provides a crucial link for pedestrians between the Central Park Bus station and the newly constructed Mangaung Intermodal Public Transport Facility, which accommodates all of the city’s taxis. It also provides a safe passage for pedestrians trying to cross the busy Hanger Street, which serves as one of the arterial roads into Bloemfontein from the south. It also provides aesthetic upliftment to the downtown area and forms part of the rejuvenation of the Bloemfontein inner city area.

While pedestrian bridges are often open, slender structures, the prerequisite for this bridge was to provide cover to pedestrians commuting between the transport facilities while still ensuring a transparent and safe enclosure. Custom-made 450x150mm rectangular hollow ribs were designed for aesthetic purposes, as well as to provide the framework for the roof and glazing panels. Special LED lighting was installed on deck level, as well as into every second steel rib. These light units were recessed into the deck and frameworks in order to protect them against vandalism and theft.

The bridge was fabricated in Omni Struct Nkosi’s workshop in Johannesburg. Its steel box girder spine, together with its steel fins and the bottom part of the frames, were welded together in their factory and the three major spans were delivered to site individually with therest of the sections. These main components were then lifted into position and the remainder of the structure welded on site. All site welds had to undergo non-destructive testing to ensure quality of workmanship.

 

Value: