The ongoing project to construct the Msikaba Bridge in the Eastern Cape – the longest suspension bridge in South Africa, will cost approximately R1.72 billion to build by the time of its completion.
Spanning the Msikaba gorge and river located near the town of Lusikisiki, the bridge is intended to significantly cut down on travel times for freight vehicles traveling between the Eastern Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal, as the current route involves an 80km inland diversion that passes Kokstad, according to MyBroadband.
Progress on the bridge has advanced at a steady pass, as work started on the main road and deck of the structure in January 2023, and the bridge itself is now scheduled for completion in 2025.
A feat of engineering
The Msikaba Bridge is one of several construction initiatives brought about by the N2 Wild Coast Road Project, which covers a 410km stretch from East London to the KZN border, and involves other undertakings such as the Mtentu Bridge, which is set to become the African continent’s tallest bridge when it is finished.
Ambitious in its own way, the Msikaba Bridge has been described as the “longest span cable-stayed suspension bridge in South Africa” at 580 metres, by the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral).
To achieve this feat, the bridge needs to use a pair of 128-metre-high pylons, which are anchored in place by blocks buried four storeys into the ground. These pillars then act as the mounting point for the miles of cables that will keep the road suspended.
“Through the cables, the mass of the deck (and the cables themselves) will pull forwards and downwards on the top of pier, the deck itself will push backwards into the base of the pier. The cables attached in turn, from the pier to the anchor blocks will pull backwards and downwards on the piers to partially counteract these forces,” explained Craig McLachlan, Sanral’s project manager.
“Therefore, logically the piers and the pier foundations must be strong enough to support both the downwards and horizontal components of these forces.”
The actual deck of the bridge, which rests 195 metres above the Msikaba river valley, is made up of 36 separate segments, which are transported to the site using no less than three trucks, and take anywhere from three to five hours to offload each segment
The regional manager of Sanral, Mbulelo Peterson, previously said that the project would create roughly 8,000 full-time jobs, and that it would pay out R750 million in wages by the time of its completion.
The construction is also expected to generate an additional 21,300 to 28,100 indirect jobs across the supply chain, while ongoing maintenance and operations work should create another 900 direct jobs, and 18,900 indirect jobs, he said.
All of the deck segments are made with 100% South African steel, and are welded in Middleburg before been transported to the work site.
Keyword: How much South Africa’s longest suspension bridge will cost to build