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Mozambique: Minister announces $7M provisional Rovubue bridge, mobilisation of funds for permanent one
3:37 CAT | 18 Jan 2024
Photo: MOPHRH
The road connection between the cities of Tete and Moatize, in the province of Tete, will soon be carried out via a 420 metre-long temporary bridge costing around US$7 million, a technical/geological study for which will take place within three weeks.
The Minister of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources, Carlos Mesquita, said on Wednesday that negotiations aimed at materialising the project were ongoing with partners.
The new bridge is an alternative to the Samora Machel bridge, which recently suffered a serious malfunction. The pre-stressed suspended infrastructure, 762 metres long and 11.2 metres wide, is more than 50 years old and has suffered several adverse events.
“This temporary bridge will take between three and four months to build and will allow the passage of heavy and light traffic. It is a very acceptable solution to the situation we find ourselves in, ” Minister Carlos Mesquita said during a working visit to Tete province.
Meanwhile, the government has been working with partners and already has a proposal to build a permanent new bridge, estimated to cost around US$29 million.
“It will serve all light and heavy load cargo traffic from Zambia and other hinterland countries to Beira and vice versa, no longer using the aforementioned temporary bridge,” Minister Mesquita stressed.
Referring also to the damage to the Samora Machel Bridge, the minister said that the prompt intervention of the National Roads Administration (ANE) and the Estradas do Zambezi Concessionaire and other stakeholders in the technical area, including the provincial authorities, prevented the worst.
“They suspended traffic immediately and assessed the level of danger that the incident could cause,” he said.
This action made it possible to minimize the suspension time of traffic on the bridge, which is unsuitable for heavy loads. “Today there are vehicles weighing from 56 to 72 tons, with nine axles, which may not have been considered at the time the project was designed,” Mesquita explained.
“Restoration work on the Samora Machel bridge has already been completed, and we are now just waiting for the final assembly parts.”
The parts are manufactured in South Africa, due to their specific characteristics. It is expected that they will be in Tete within 10 days.
“For now, a technical team will inspect the bridge, checking the bolts and clamps near where the damage occurred,” the minister continued.
“We have also decided to carry out a general inspection of the Samora Machel bridge to determine whether there had been damage to other parts of the infrastructure. It will be a visual inspection, but the bridge clamps and cables will be inspected using ultrasound to ensure material integrity and safety,” Minister Mesquita concluded.
Source: MOPHRH - Ministério de Obras Públicas, Habitação e Recursos Hidricos / Media Release
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