The road link between the cities of Tete and Moatize, in Tete province, will finally be ensured by an alternative (metal) bridge 420 meters long and costing around 800 million meticais.

The technical-geological study, which began in the last fortnight of February this year, lasted 45 days and resulted in the drawing up of the executive engineering project and the establishment of technical conditions that allowed the physical works to begin at the end of May this year.

The contractor for the work assured the Minister for Public Works, Housing and Water Resources, Carlos Mesquita, during a working visit to that central region of the country, that the construction of the alternative bridge, under normal circumstances, could be built in around five months.

The infrastructure under construction will have two lanes and be 1.5 meters higher than the current one. It is being designed to accommodate the safe passage of light and heavy vehicle traffic, including those to and from the hinterland, and to improve access to essential services such as hospitals, schools and markets, especially for communities that previously had difficulty accessing them.

When the work is completed, heavy vehicles will be banned from crossing the Samora Machel bridge.

The new bridge will have a positive impact on the local economy, facilitating the transportation of goods and improving connectivity between Tete and Moatize. In addition, the new infrastructure will stimulate economic development in the region, especially for Moatize, known for its coal mining, and will provide a solution to the challenges faced after the passage of tropical storm ANA, which destroyed 120 meters of the Revúbuè bridge deck and ripped out five pillars, each weighing 750 tons. The rehabilitation that was possible was at a level that only allows cyclists and pedestrians to pass. (Press release)