Mozambique | Deck of Maputo-Catembe bridge laid earlier than expected

The last section of deck of the bridge between Maputo and Catembe will be laid today, ahead of schedule by about three weeks, the Mozambican press reported. The assembly of the 57 metal modules on the bridge’s main deck took just 22 days, compared to an initial forecast was 45 days.

The deck, which will cover a 600-metre suspension span, is estimated to weigh more than 7,000 tones. Each module is 12 meters wide, 26 meters long and 3 meters thick.

The deck links the towers built over the bay, in Maputo and Catembe, which are 135 and 137 meters tall, respectively.

The metal cables that support the modules weigh about 2,000 tones each, and are over 1 kilometer long.

The company responsible for the work has given assurances that nothing will compromise the completion of the works in December, as scheduled in the initial phase of the project.

The bridge will be 3 kilometers long and its two access viaducts will be 2.3 kilometers long.

Construction of the bridge, by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CBRC), will cost USD725 million and was funded by the Export Import Bank of China (ExIm).  MDT/Macauhub