Nyusi to preside over inauguration of Maputo-Katembe Bridge – more than 3,000 guests expected

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Nyusi to preside over inauguration of Maputo-Katembe Bridge – more than 3,000 guests expected

11:32 CAT | 09 Nov 2018

Photo courtesy: Further Africa

Residents of Matutuíne in Maputo province are looking forward to the inauguration of the Maputo-KaTembe bridge tomorrow, telling Radio Mozambique that the bridge would leverage the socio-economic development of Maputo province and city, among other things.

The Minister of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources, João Machatine, who visited the bridge on Thursday, said that everything was in place for the inauguration of the largest suspension bridge in Africa.

“It’s all set. If we had to evaluate in percentage terms I would say that we are 99.9% ready for the inauguration,” he said.

The three-kilometre-long Maputo-Katembe Bridge will be inaugurated Saturday by President Nyusi, coinciding with the 131st anniversary of Maputo’s elevation to city status.

The bridge provides for the first time a direct land connection between the two sides of Maputo Bay with a span of 700 meters and two approach ramps over two kilometres long. Seventy-five tons of steel and 300,000 cubic metres of concrete were used in its construction.

China financed the construction of the US$785 million bridge, employing 3,800 local and 450 Chinese workers as well as 50 engineers and consultants from countries such as Germany, England, Russia and Greece.

The bridge project also involved the construction of 180 kilometres of road linking Katembe to Ponta do Ouro.