This aerial photograph captures the Kopanang Bridge, also known as the Grayston Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge and originally known as the Great Walk Bridge, spanning the M1 motorway at the Grayston Drive interchange in Johannesburg. The bridge provides a dedicated pedestrian and cycling connection between Sandton and Alexandra, forming part of a wider non-motorised transport route designed to improve safe access between the two communities. The photograph shows the bridge’s distinctive circular approach ramp, landscaped surroundings and the M1 interchange, with the Sandton skyline visible in the distance.

The bridge was developed as part of the City of Johannesburg’s Corridors of Freedom programme and forms part of a dedicated approximately 5 km pedestrian and cycling route between Alexandra and Sandton. The project responded to the longstanding need for safer movement across the M1, particularly for thousands of Alexandra residents travelling to employment opportunities in Sandton. The name Kopanang, a Sotho word meaning “where people meet”, reflects the project’s intended role in connecting communities that had historically been separated by the city’s transport infrastructure.

Structurally, the bridge is a cantilevered spar cable-stayed bridge with a 176-metre central section and a 100-metre main span. Its distinctive 70-metre-high inclined pylon supports the main span through cable stays. The project was designed by Royal HaskoningDHV and constructed by Murray & Roberts for the Johannesburg Development Agency. The bridge opened to pedestrians and cyclists in May 2018.

The bridge is also notable for its difficult construction history. In October 2015, temporary works supporting the bridge collapsed onto the M1, killing two motorists and injuring 19 people. The completed permanent structure was subsequently delivered and became an important piece of Johannesburg’s pedestrian and cycling infrastructure.

 

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