EN1: Bridge over Save closes in November for works

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EN1: Bridge over Save closes in November for works

2:26 CAT | 27 Aug 2019

Picture: Noticias

Road traffic on the Save River bridge in Inhambane province will be suspended from next November to permit rehabilitation works in progress since the beginning of this hlef-year to progress to the next stage, Noticias reports today.

According to Minister of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources, João Machatine, the contractor responsible for the works has been instructed to speed up work on access to the alternative bridge being prepared to temporarily accommodate traffic.

João Machatine did not spell out the exact stage of the two projects – the refurbishment of the old bridge and the construction of the temporary alternative – which are taking place simultaneously, but expressed satisfaction with the course of events.

According to Machatine, experts from the Chinese company responsible for the construction of the alternative bridge will arrive soon, and are expected to give activities a boost. Most of the raw material needed for the job is already on site.

The contractor’s attention is currently focused on improving access to the alternative metal bridge which will be used while the main bridge is being repaired.

“We noticed that the two-way ramps which give access to the metal platform might have presented constraints on heavy vehicle traffic, so we have asked the contractor to improve them so as to facilitate the normal circulation of vehicles, both those involved in the works and public,” Machatine said.

Financial constraints facing the country as a result of the international financial crisis had affected the pace of rehabilitation of the old bridge, built about 50 years ago, he admitted.

Project interventions include, in addition to the construction of the alternative bridge, the improvement of the Pambara-Save River section of the EN1.

“It is important to stress that, due to the financial constraints that plagued our country during the five-year period about to end, the pace of the works was hindered, which is why it is currently not meeting the established schedule. But we are progressing according to the capacity of the disbursement of funds for this venture,” the minister explained.

Source: Noticias