Historic week in Africa as fastest train and longest bridge unveiled [Photos]

 

The Maputo-Catembe Bridge

As part of a larger project that includes the building of a set of access roads and rehabilitation of five existing bridges by the China Roads and Bridges Corporation (CRBC). One of the roads will link Catembe to Ponta do Ouro, a popular holiday destination near the South African border.

The bridge has two 137m concrete towers, each one to be built on 24, up to 100m deep concrete pile foundations with a diameter of 2.2m. It is 60m above the Maputo Bay to ensure that ships can pass underneath it on their way in and out of the International Port of Maputo.

Mozambique’s President,  Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, officially inaugurated the Maputo-Katembe Bridge, which connects the north and south banks of Maputo Bay. It also connects the country to South Africa’s KwaZulu Natal province by road, cutting travel time between the two countries from six hours to just 90 minutes.

“Today is a unique day of our history, the achievement of the dream of Samora Machel. With the completion of this bridge… the connection of southern Africa to the north over land and across our country is guaranteed,” Nyusi said at a rally after the inauguration.

The Maputo-Catembe Bridge is now among the 60 largest suspended bridges in the world.