Msikaba bridge
The Msikaba bridge is a cable-stayed construction which will span the Msikaba River near Lusikisiki in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province. The bridge is part of the N2 Wild Coast Road (N2WC) project, which will reduce light and heavy freight travel time between Durban and East London. Msikaba bridge is currently under construction.
completion date for the project has been scheduled for the end of 2025/the start of 2026.
The tender for the bridge was awarded in 2017 to Concor Mota-Engil Joint Venture (CMEJV), a joint venture between South African construction company, and Portuguese firm. Construction of started March that year at an estimated cost US$ 138 million.
A bridge over the 198-m-deep Msikaba river gorge is being laid by a JV comprising Concor and MECSA, both Grade 9CE black South African construction companies.
Its main span of 580m will be supported from a pair of pylons, each tower being 127m high. The deck will be 194m meters above the valley floor, making it the third highest bridge in Africa. Bloukrans Bridge is now tied for second with a height of 216 metres and Mtentu Bridge when completed will tie Blruitak first place at a hight off over 200 m.
Bloukrans Bridge
From Nature’s Valley, Western Cape in South Africa comes an arch bridge called the Bloukrans Bridge. Built by Concor from February 1980 to June 1983, the bridge towers 216m above Bloukrans River. Its central span is 272m and the bridge’s overall length is 451m. The principle purpose is that of a road bridge, carrying national route N2. The world’s highest commercial bridge jump, operated by Face Adrenalin since 1997 can be found at Bloukrans Bridge.
Mtentu bridge
It is a multi-span box girder bridge over the Mtentu River near Lundini in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. Construction of mtentu bridge cost R4.05 billion The bridge is part of the N2 Wild Coast road project, which seeks to speed up travel between Durban and East. It covers a length of about 1,387 metres (including its approach viaducts), with a main span some 456 m long alongwith two side spans each measuring just over half that figure.
Completion of the Mtentu Bridge is set for 2027.
The entire construction was carried out The choice of line and the design and construction have created a demand for high-class bridge designers, engineers. It will take about 50 months to build the bridge making it one of tallest bridges in world. There are many champions on this particular stage–Mtentu Bridge’s record as Africa’s longest span.
Read also Africa’s second longest cable-stayed bridge, the Msikaba bridge in South Africa
