From the Lowvelder

http://www.lowvelder.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=674:accusations-rife-over-bridge-collapse&catid=34:news&Itemid=98


Accusations rife over bridge collapse
Written by Desireé Rorke - Monday, 19 October 2009 16:44


NELSPRUIT - An investigation into the cause of the collapse of the P166 bridge over the N4 is currently underway by the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA).
According to Ms Theresa King of ECSA this investigation could lead to a tribunal, where the responsible engineer for the project, in this case Mr Joe Madishe, could be held liable for the collapse.
"If prima facie evidence is found
that the responsible engineer is guilty of improper conduct the case will go to tribunal," she told Lowvelder on Monday.
Improper conduct in the engineering industry is regulated by the Engineering Profession Act of 2000, and regulates acceptable standards of practice in the profession.
"We have contracted the services of
Mr André Oosthuizen, an expert on bridge construction, and will rely on the findings of his final report," she says.
A preliminary photographic report has already been concluded, but the findings have not yet been released.
However, Madishe blamed the collapse of the bridge on the vibrations of a truck that travelled at abnormal speed underneath the beams.
In this regard he stated the following to the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral), "Our initial concern is the interference of Ms Carla Davis of TRAC. If she did not order the premature opening of eastbound traffic on the N4, while the work of loading the beams was in progress, the truck would not have travelled through the eastbound lanes and would not have caused the vibrations and the beams to collapse."
TRAC on the other hand stated that the collapse of the beams was not caused by any act or omission on the part of themselves or Davis, that Modishe's allegations amount to harassment, and that they are in the process of investigating legal action against Modishe.
At the time of the accident a civil engineer told Lowvelder that the collapse could not have been caused by the vibrations of a truck, but more possibly by vibrations of jackhammers when used on concrete, if that was the case. At the time the beams were held in place by their own weight.
According to other sources who visited the site after the collapse, it seemed as if the beams simply broke, which could indicate a structural or manufacturing error.
"Apparently, the beams in question were procured for approximately R103 000, whereas according to other engineers these beams usually cost around R300 000," this source told the newspaper.
Meanwhile urgent meetings are currently under way on provincial government level to determine the finalisation of the P166 bridge, and according to a source, the province contracted the services of an engineering firm in Nelspruit to conduct its own investigation into the cause of the collapse.
The successful completion of this bridge is an official Fifa requirement, and if not completed before June 2010, could pose a problem to Nelspruit’s hosting of the event.
According to Mr Ismael Essa of Sanral, their major concern is the safety of road users.
"The lanes will continue to be closed where construction is taking place overhead," he said.

ilanga Mall

http://www.ilangamall.com/?page_id=81

http://www.ilangamall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/ilanga-perspective.jpg

http://www.ilangamall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/aerial-5.jpg

Nice :)

wow pule how many more malls can this place support.

IS there a population boom or something?

^^ aparently (something like 50% of all new construction in mampumalanga is hapening in NELSPRUIT and they only have 10 % of the population)

wow pule how many more malls can this place support.

IS there a population boom or something?

One wonders but may be they knwo something we don't.

I like the fact that it's got a Piazza.

New R600m mall for Nelspruit
Announcement
21 October 2009


New I’Langa Mall is set to take Nelspruit shopping to a new level of excellence.


The exciting new R600 million I'Langa Mall in Nelspruit, an upmarket regional shopping centre superbly situated with great visibility and easy access off the N4 highway, is set to open in April 2010.

With construction on schedule, a high-profile mix of retailers has already confirmed their place in the centre, which is already 85% let and will be anchored by Pick n Pay, Edgars, Game and Woolworths, complemented by major national retailers including Truworths, Foschini, Mr Price and Ackermans, all bringing their very latest offerings to the city.

Owned by the Visagie Trust, Resilient Properties and Laeveldtrust and developed by MTB Development Company, I'Langa Mall's carefully planned mix of tenants, fresh design, superb location and easy access will offer every good reason for Nelspruit's citizens to embrace it as their shopping and dining venue of choice.

Initially motivated by the long-term vision of the late Andeon Visagie (snr), the development of I'Langa Mall (I'Langa meaning ‘sun') has evolved based on extensive market research which confirmed a demand for a regional shopping centre on the property. Its varied shopping offering has been specially targeted to meet the needs of the local market, and its attraction is borne out by retailer take up.

One of the most exciting elements about I'Langa Mall is that it will complement and enhance the retail variety in Nelspruit by introducing a number of retailers to the city for the very first time. Amongst those already confirmed are: upmarket offering of @HomeLivingSpace, specialist electronics and entertainment store Dion Wired, the surf style of Hang Ten, Due South outdoor and adventure wear, Portuguese women's wear designer Ana Sousa and the affordable energy of Mr Price Sport. In addition, I'Langa Mall will be home to the only Game store in Nelspruit.

I'Langa will abound with an extensive offering of popular national retailers as well as a number of independent retailers offering specialised products and services, many of which are local businesses. This means that overall shoppers will have access to many top brands, exceptional stores, and a superb comparative shopping experience which is also unique in every way.

The enclosed air-conditioned I'Langa Mall will cater for all shoppers' needs in a modern, highly-pleasing shopping environment. Furthermore a vibrant open-air piazza concept will offer an exciting variety of distinctive restaurants.

Importantly, the benefits that I'Langa Mall will bring to the Nelspruit go far beyond shopping. The construction of I'Langa Mall is expected to boost the local community and economy by creating some 2,400 jobs during the construction phase. Once open, it is anticipated that an additional 3,590 sustainable jobs will be created. Wherever possible, local suppliers and contractors have been used.

The owners have also undertaken extensive traffic studies in regard to the construction of I'Langa Mall and are spending millions in road upgrades, as part of the project, to ensure easy access to the centre and good, uncongested, traffic flows around I'Langa Mall.

Bringing shopping right to the doorstep of many Nelspruit residents, I'Langa Mall is situated conveniently for Nelspruit's residential suburbs and allows shoppers to quickly and easily get in and out of the centre's free secure, undercover parking. I'Langa Mall will also serve the substantial and growing cross-border shopping market from Mozambique, as well as tourists visiting the area.

"I'langa Mall is proudly local. The idea was conceptualised in Nelspruit; it is being developed by a team of Nelspruit businessmen and built with the best local knowledge and skills. We are proud that this Mall for the people of Nelspruit, will offer residents the best that shopping centres can offer," says Luan Visagie of major stakeholder Visagie Trust.

In selecting its investment partners, Visagie Trust has joined forces with some of the property industry's most respected leaders.

Resilient Property Income Fund is a property loan stock company listed on the JSE Limited. It is focused on the development of and investment in dominant retail centres. Strict criteria are applied in evaluating target investments and only regions displaying sound long term growth prospects are considered. Experienced investors nationally, Resilient is also major co-owner of Highveld Mall in Witbank and owner of Nelspruit Plaza, all underpinning its strong understanding of fundamentals and dynamics in the market.

"We have great confidence in the economy of Nelspruit and the entire region. Our local partners have, with their knowledge and passion, certainly created a superior asset in I'Langa Mall," says Johann Kriek of Resilient.

With its ethos to invest locally to support both the economy and the community, Laeveldtrust has a strong record of joint ventures and empowering local contractors and business. For more than 50 years Laeveldtrust has developed in excess of 30 properties of various sizes in the Lowveld, as well as undertaking the development of four housing projects during the last seven years.

"I'Langa Mall will be the definitive entertainment and retail facility serving Nelspruit. It is a truly exceptional project," says Nico van Zyl of Laeveldtrust.

So the other two Game stores will close and be replaced by this one?
It must be bad for the CBD, what is Nelspruit's CBD like at the moment?

How much of the spending power in Nelspruit can be attributed to Mozambicans?

Well it will be bad when the Game store will be closed in the CBD since it has huge support even from the ones using public transport.
The Mozambicans who buy are very tiny even for a single shop. For the location of this mall Im not sure if it will work that much because the N4 west direction is used by travellers who are leaving town for the Highveld or Gauteng Province. The R40 is the busiest and the perfect spot for any development as its like the N1 to Jozi and Pretoria.
By the way thanks Pule for the post I still wonder how you managed to find it as I was battling with google lol.

Well it will be bad when the Game store will be closed in the CBD since it has huge support even from the ones using public transport.
The Mozambicans who buy are very tiny even for a single shop. For the location of this mall Im not sure if it will work that much because the N4 west direction is used by travellers who are leaving town for the Highveld or Gauteng Province. The R40 is the busiest and the perfect spot for any development as its like the N1 to Jozi and Pretoria.
By the way thanks Pule for the post I still wonder how you managed to find it as I was battling with google lol.


You are welcomed G&G. I don't even remeber how I found it. When I was in the province in March this year, there was a development not far from the stadium, is this the one? By the way, how far is it from the stadium?

There was a retail development taking place in the CBD, has it been completed?

@Pule. Well the stadium is on the west from here and this is the development that you saw.

The CBD does have a few developments but they are not as huge. The most promising projects have been cancelled.

But there is never ending developments on the Riverside Area towards White River just like the N1 Midrand Area.

I will get pics of the CBD just need a friend as a bodyguard if I hope to keep my camera :lol:

ok for this project here is some labeling to help with some sence of location.

http://i37.************/1z20i0o.jpg

But there is never ending developments on the Riverside Area towards White River just like the N1 Midrand Area.

I spot a rename coming :lol:

I spot a rename coming :lol:

:lol:

Locksmith Barnet (http://www.london24hrlocksmith.co.uk/service-areas/north-london/locksmith-barnet) and other locksmiths in Barnet love that post

i honestly do not believe that both riverside mall and the new ilanga mall survive. this is bad urban planning in my mind

i honestly do not believe that both riverside mall and the new ilanga mall survive. this is bad urban planning in my mind
Why do you say that?

There has been an number of new shopping centers opened around town during this recession and they have been doing very well BUT the key issue here is location location and location.

So far Im a big critic of these new suburbia shopping centers and the ones based in the Riverside as they are taking the middle class away from the CBD even the new non-white middle class.

Riverside Mall will survive as it has been there for a decade now and it was expanded 4 years ago to almost 200 shops and I often joke about it for having more "brand" shops than any town in Mpumalanga even the Nelspruit CBD itself. The location of this mall is on prime land and every developer wants a piece of the land on the R40 freeway to White River, as I said before that place is like between PTA and JHB in traffic movement (not the scale of it though) and I see new inner streets and residential places and offices and and palm everywhere trees :) but I just hope we dont go the JHB-Sandton way and live the innercity to the hooligans and foreign drug lords and building hijackers.

As for the Ilanga Mall I just dont think much of its location as it on the N4 freeway few kilometers to Mbombela Stadium and I have seen other shopping centers of this freeway doing bad even though they were close to middle class suburbs like Valencia on the N4 east and one close to the Nelsville.
I also dont like the fact the Game store will close in the CBD for this mall although the mall will have Makro, talk about selfish and morons.

How I wish they could suspend building on new farmlands like the ones you see as the CBD has huge potential towards the south and there are many small old offices there that could be exchanged for office highrises and street level shopping. That place looks wonderful, it has some fresh "subtropical" feel and has some "European" like offices with restaurants and a lot could be done there without changing the feel and while saving the CBD before it goes down as it has started.

The MP provincial government set a prime example of turning its back on the CBD.

^^ I dont think they will, their legislator and the provincial offices are in the Riverside Area.

Next time I come to Nelspruit I will check out the new Ilanga Mall. I think it wont be a loss since people will come in from smaller towns such as Barberton, Sabie and Spruiksfontein for outing and shopping. The population is also growing so in the near future these will even need expansion.

Are they still into citrus farming around Nelspruit? I remember a lot of Orange farms in the outskirts. We also used to get good fresh fruit and biltong (yummy) in nelspruit. I am sure its blazing hot right now :)

Are they still into citrus farming around Nelspruit? I remember a lot of Orange farms in the outskirts. We also used to get good fresh fruit and biltong (yummy) in nelspruit. I am sure its blazing hot right now :)

:) the citrus and subtropical fruits are still here, from season to season and there is a local saying which says "Here in the Lowveld organic fruits are not just cheap BUT free".

and yes today was the hottest day of the year, 38 degrees around the mountain suburbs and over 40 degrees in town, it was supper hot.

that was damn hot day...Is Nelspruit dry during winter/brown or does it still keep it green?

^^ If it rains till May its usually green in June, July and at times in August but the cold does dry things up later on. Its not super cold though thats why you get citrus fruits being harvested around that time and during from around 9am till 5pm you can wear short pants.

The Nelspruit being renamed Mbombela thread was locked so I'll post this here.

The Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism went to court with the South African government as a result of the decision saying that members of the public were not consulted before the name change took place.


So its now back to Nelspruit.

What a waste of time and money!

Lol, we always call it Nelspruit.. The name wont just vanish. However I hate this going back and forth, its just useless.

Besides, Nelspruit sounds better than Mbombela, it's sounds so heavy and has 'bomb' in it.

Besides, Nelspruit sounds better than Mbombela, it's sounds so heavy and has 'bomb' in it.

:lol:

I just moved to Nelspruit 2 months ago and I have shopped several times at both iLanga Mall and Riverside. Riverside is obviously on prime real estate and is also strategically placed on the R40 to White River. for this reason, plus the fact that it has more shops than iLanga, it draws more shoppers. But iLanga mall is only two minutes outside the CBD and it is also on the edge of the suburbs (which Riverside is not) and so it is actually more accessible for a lot of people.

In Nelspruit there are several malls/shopping complexes (including one with the biggest Spar in the Southern Hemisphere) which have cropped up over the last few years and although I don;t use them all, they all have full car parks throughout the day, so it appears that the population here can obviously support these new developments.

Only if they could laso take care fo their CBD...

biggest spar in the Southern Hemisphere?.. in Nelspruit? Seriously?

Only if they could laso take care fo their CBD...

Judging from Google Street View, Nelspruit has one of the nicest small city CBD's in SA.

Judging from Google Street View, Nelspruit has one of the nicest small city CBD's in SA.

Very true, its still very nice in comparison to the inland cities.

You can view the Nelspruit gallery http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=996775