Dear Sirs
Not too long ago, a bridge collapsed on the road from Johannesburg to Pretoria and there were reports about another bridge problem on the N3. It is quite a worry for those of us who travel daily on the N1 between the two biggest cities in Gauteng.
I understand that the chances of a bridge actually falling on you as you travel under it are minimal. But still, this is potentially a danger .
Should I be worried?
– Yolanda Mminele, Centurion
Ed’s note: The instances you quote are highly unusual. The first one was not over a SANRAL road and the second was actually not the bridge itself collapsing – it was caused by a truck. The bridge was not in use any more. We are, in fact, very careful and inspect our 9 500 bridges and major culverts every five-six years to see if repair work may be needed. So no, you needn’t worry, Yolanda.
Dear Sirs
Whatever criticism you may get, I think most of the roads – certainly in the Cape province – are first-class and well maintained. I regularly travel the N1/N2.
One of the problem areas is from Cape Town Airport to Caledon and the other the ridiculous situation at Knysna. Why can this half-baked bypass not be sorted out and all through-traffic be made to use it?
In both cases, ignore the local politicians and please start improving these bottlenecks. All the fuss over e-tolling – wonderful asset for JHB and it is what we desperately needed in Cape Town.
Keep up the good work.
– Christopher Durrant, via email
Ed’s note: Thank you for the compliment! We strive to deliver safely engineered and well-designed roads for the benefit of all. Regarding Cape Town to Caledon, we will soon start with the construction of a special maintenance project between Baden Powel and De Beers Interchange at Somerset West, though no improvement to capacity has been planned. Another special maintenance project, which will result in a slight improvement to capacity, will be undertaken between Sir Lowry’s Pass and Houw Hoek Pass, as well as three capacity improvement projects that will go out to tender for consulting engineering services early next year between Swartklip Interchange (R300) and Baden Powell, and between De Beers Interchange and Sir Lowry’s Pass.
We also have a planned project for a possible new alignment between Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, which will go out to tender for engineering services early next year.
We love hearing road stories and comments. Send yours to pressoffice@nra.co.za and you might end up on our Letters page
Last edition’s crossword driving you crazy? Not to worry, you can find the solutions on Pg 20
When you think about spending an afternoon being soothed and relaxed, a video game isn’t exactly the most obvious entertainment that leaps to mind. After all, a quick glance at the games filling up tech and toy stores around the country ahead of Christmas shows a smorgasbord of violence. In many games, the player’s primary view is from behind the crosshairs of a gun.
But believe it or not, it is possible for a game to be as relaxing as a head massage at a spa (minus the candles and incense, of course). It’s a testament to how versatile and varied games have become that some of the most satisfying titles don’t come armed with enough testosterone to send Transformers director Michael Bay into orbit.
Perhaps the most famous calming games are made by Los Angeles-based studio ThatGameCompany, which over the years has set hearts fluttering with titles made for Sony’s PlayStation platforms. Its first two games were Flow and Flower. Flow was an adventure in which players guided a wisp-like creature through a serene aquatic environment, absorbing cells and growing. Flower saw players guiding petals on a breeze through lush valleys, restoring life to the fields surrounding them.
By far the studio’s best game is Journey, in which players guide a small, caped figure through a desert, foot-surfing on sand dunes towards a mountain with a shaft of light emanating from it. Over the course of the game, you can solve puzzles, meet other players with whom you can communicate wordlessly – and drink in vistas that are, by turns, breathtaking and beautiful.
Journey is the gaming equivalent of a long, hot bubble bath. Get in, you’ll be glad you did.
* All of the above games are available as the Journey Collection, which is exclusive to PS4