Aesthetic design considerations for bridges and road structures

A major challenge facing South Africa is the growth in vehicle volumes and the need to expand road infrastructure to cater for the needs of commuters and the movement of goods. With the change in land-use patterns, and the proximity of pedestrians to the freeway system, the proposed solutions had to cater for the needs of both motorists and pedestrians. The overall aesthetic quality of the infrastructure impacts both consciously and subconsciously on individuals. The paper deals with the South African National Roads Agency Limited’s (Sanral’s) approach to provide both aesthetic and functional structures. By requiring aesthetically pleasing design solutions Sanral has contributed to the appreciation of good engineering design. Specific designs and details adopted for structures along and over the highways are dealt with. These relate to one large project, the Gauteng freeway improvement project, where there are 33 new bridges and 109 bridges which were widened.