December 9, 2020 (SALONE TIMES)
FREETOWN – On November 30 2020 SALONE TIMES published a story about the pernicious state of the Old Railway Line Bridge. This was followed by an inspection from the Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA) which proclaimed that the bridge is fit for purpose in a conflicting press release which triggered social media concerns that people should avoid using the said bridge.
This was the same way in which concerns were earlier raised about some of the aged bridges in Freetown that need urgent attention but no attention was paid. The bridges named in previous concern of citizens include Savage Street Bridge one of the major bridges that link the central business district and west of Freetown.
The collapsed Savage Street Bridge is few minutes’ walk from the Old Railway Line Bridge; both bridges are located on clay soil.
From all indication, similar activities are being carried out at the Old Railway Line bridge as the on in the Savage Street Bridge which many believed might have triggered the collapse of the latter.
Squatters have erected dwelling houses beneath the bridge while other human activities including clay mining have left serious erosion on the foundation of the former.
At one point in their Press Release, SLRA said that there is no imminent danger on the Old Railway Line Bridge but at another point the release noted that the foundation of the said bridge had been undermined.
“That the foundation of the pier of the Bridge on the St John approach has been seriously undermined and therefore requires urgent maintenance whilst efforts have been made by government for reconstruction of a new bridge, “the Press Release revealed.
They even recommended load restriction to be immediately enforced by government on the said Bridge to avoid danger.
Adding that; “there is no imminent danger as alleged and that there is no failure initiated at the expansion joint at deck of the bridge.”
But they noted that the expansion joint which was originally sealed during an asphaltic concrete overlay had initiated transverse cracks which remain the same since the last inspection.
They maintained that the Old Railway Line Bridge is one of four Bridges on which both technical and environmental impact assessment were recently done and recommended for reconstruction.
It could be recalled that the Old Railway Line Bridge has seen more vehicular traffic following the collapse of a nearby Bridge at Savage Street which is under construction.
