The Paul Kruger bridge, which crosses the Utaga river on the road to Amersfoort was commissioned by the government of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR) as a result of a petition by the inhabitants of the district. Apparently Paul Kruger (President of the ZAR) visited the community and although he had no need to follow the route across the vlei, was routed this way, causing his coach to get stuck in the mud. This incident influenced the decision by the Volksraad (Parliament of ZAR) to recommend a bridge to be built.
The eventual steel structure with a span of 12.2 meters between two stone bridgeheads, was one of the last steel bridges built by the ZAR before they started building concrete bridges. The construction of the bridge eventually began in 1892.