Traffic authorities were braced for two days of chaos following the N3 bridge collapse in Gauteng - but demolition and clean-up teams worked through the night to ensure that the multi-lane highway reopened on Thursday morning.
"We had an emergency meeting yesterday‚" said Joburg Metro Police spokesman Wayne Minnaar on Thursday. "We had planned for traffic queues everywhere‚ gridlocks and multiple officers directing traffic."
The N3 was closed north and southbound between the M2 Geldenhuys and the Gillooly's interchange after the bridge caved in on Wednesday.
"By midday [Wednesday] we were told the road could be closed for 48 hours. But then by 6pm we were told the bridge could be cleared by midnight. That's exactly what happened. It's good news‚" Minnaar said.
By the time debris was removed from the surface‚ the road was open to traffic in both directions by 6am.
The exact cause of the collapse is still being investigated.
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