Johannesburg - The N3 north and south bound between the M2 Gildenhuys and N3 Gillooly’s interchanges has been reopened on Thursday morning after the collapse of an abandoned pedestrian bridge over the highway early on Wednesday.
According to reports, the scene of the bridge collapse has been cleared and traffic is flowing smoothly.
The collapse resulted in the closure of the N3 with three people seriously injured.
Earlier on Sunday, Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Ismail Vadi, said that the freeway between the Geldenhuys interchange and Van Buuren Road near Germiston would be closed in both directions for the next 24 to 48 hours due to the collapsed bridge.
Vadi conducted a site inspection of the collapsed pedestrian bridge on the N3 highway on Wednesday morning.
"An independent structural engineer is on site and assessing the incident. Until the investigation is completed it is not possible to speculate on the cause of the collapse," Vadi said.
Vadi said on Sunday that the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) would demolish the structure, clear the debris and open the freeway to traffic once investigations had been completed.
The decommissioned pedestrian bridge collapsed around midnight. The foot bridge was constructed in 1978 and has not been in use for a number of years.
Minister of Transport Joe Maswanganyi on Wednesday welcomed the forensic investigation to determine the cause of the collapse.
In a statement, the department of transport said: "Minister Maswanganyi commends the swift response and collaboration by SANRAL, the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport and Ekurhuleni Municipality for ensuring that they attend to the scene and assist the injured."