Traffic diverted after Anse Aux Pins bridge collapse
Traffic was badly disrupted, though no one was injured, after a section of the bridge near Anse Aux Pins police station collapsed yesterday morning.
Resurfacing work on the bridge was going ahead when the middle of the road collapsed at around 10.30am.
Resources were immediately mobilised to divert traffic in both directions – towards Victoria and south towards Au Cap – and regular radio announcements were made to warn as many drivers as possible.
Traffic was diverted on to the Capucin road, circling the area and coming out on the Reef Estate road.
Bus passengers going to Victoria had to get out at the depot opposite the Reef golf course and walk to the Anse Aux Pins terminal to catch another bus onwards – and vice-versa for those heading south.
Bus users did not have to pay again for the second part of their journey.
Meanwhile, pedestrians were still able to use the road, which was stable enough to be walked across.
Gerard Hoareau of the Land Transport Agency (LTA) said they have engaged a private contractor to bring in the heavy machinery needed to carry out the repair work.
“We are, of course, treating the situation with the utmost urgency,” he said.
“We have to demolish the bridge, clear up the debris and then put in concrete reinforced slabs as part of the repair work,” he said.
He added that no cause of the collapse has yet been identified, though the bridge was very old and was in need of being rebuilt anyway.
“We are commissioning a project where we will visit all bridges in the country and establish which ones need to be rebuilt or reinforced,” he said.
“This is especially important because of the heavier vehicles using our roads now, compared with when the bridges were built.”
Mr Hoareau said the road was expected to reopen at around 6pm last evening, though it could be just one lane at first.
Source: NATION 8-12-10