Bridge construction works on the Nkomati River, carried out by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), should be completed by December.

Paulo Fumane, president of the organisation responsible for implementation of the Maputo ring road and the Maputo/Catembe bridge and associated road system, said construction would make it possible to link the town of Marracuene and Maçaneta by road, as these two places are currently connected only by barge.

The bridge, included in the Maputo ring road project, is 310 metres long and 11 metres wide and is supported by 10 pillars. In order to ensure compliance with deadlines, negotiations were under way with the Chinese company in order to open up a new construction area.

“We have to negotiate with the contractor because the opening of a second area has cost implications – it could mean the use of more labourers and machines,” said Fumane.

The initial project provided for a metal bridge with a shelf life of about five years but, following negotiations, a decision was made to build a concrete bridge, with a minimum life of one hundred years.

Source: Macauhub