- The newly completed Ashton Arch Bridge is South Africa’s first concrete tied arch bridge constructed using a transverse launching method.
- The bridge replaces an existing multi-arch bridge, built in the 1930’s.
- A proud moment for the Western Cape Government, the new tied-arch bridge comprises a cable-supported concrete deck which spans 110 metres between supports with arching ribs rising 22 metres above the asphalt road surface.
The superstructure, which was completed mid 2020 adjacent to the existing road-alignment, was this past weekend launched transversely into its final position. This is a first of this kind of construction in Africa.
The bridge is located in the town of Ashton, Western Cape, on Trunk Road 31 Sections 2 (start of “Route 62”, an important tourist destination and national road) crossing the Cogmanskloof River. The bridge replaces an existing multi-arch bridge, built in the 1930’s, which did not fulfil its functional requirements, inter alia service life, width and hydraulic capacity, anymore.
The new arch will have enough room for four lanes of traffic and two sidewalks and weighs a whopping 8000 tonnes and created more than 508 local work opportunities. “It represents a proud monument for the Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works, the people of the Ashton-Montagu area, and all the contractors, labourers and suppliers who were involved in the project,” said multinational construction company, Aecom.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
