Bridge

[Ann Gander (nee Greenway)]

Does the bridge still wash away when the Orange floods?  I remember it happening several times.  Made leaving OM very difficult!  Each time they repaired it, they built it higher and higher. Any privately owned cars were garaged just North of the Bridge and then the travellers were bussed back into town.

[bobbysmith]

i remember that well anne,happy days

[Malcolm Bertoni]

Does the bridge still wash away when the Orange floods?  I remember it happening several times.  Made leaving OM very difficult!  Each time they repaired it, they built it higher and higher. Any privately owned cars were garaged just North of the Bridge and then the travellers were bussed back into town.

Hi

I remember when we had to keep our cars inthe garages at the bridge when the town was still closed.  The garages on the SWA side was called Swartkops and on the SA side was called Dunvlei.

I remember that you could hire cars in town from the company.  They had a big disc with a number on it.  One guy drove his hire car out of the town and over the bridge and security only noticed it by the number on the front bumper.  They freaked and there was a lot of explaining that was needed to be done by the driver.  The story became a fable in the next years.

Cheers

Malcolm

[darryl weidemann]

The bridge was never washed away again but it came very close many times. there was one time when the water was give or take 2 meters from the top of the bridge. but the biggest fear was during one flood there was a barge that got loose and was heading to the bridge and with its size and speed , had it hit, the there would have been big problems.
i dont actually remember what eventually happened.