Construction work is delayed for two key bridge links in South Africa. The Mtentu Bridge and Msikaba Bridge form part of the N2 Wild Coast (N2WC) road project in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. The project is being carried out for the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral).
The construction work for the Mtentu Bridge is being carried out by a joint venture comprising the China Communications Construction Company and Mota-Engil Construction South Africa (Mecsa). The work originally expected to be finished in late 2027 but now looks as if it will take longer. This project was delayed due to protests and problems with the contractor originally awarded the work. The Mtentu Bridge is a 1.133km multi span box girder bridge and the work was reawarded by Sanral following problems with the initial contractor. The bridge is now being built by the Aveng Strabag Joint Venture (ASJV), which comprises South African firm Aveng and international contractor STRABAG.
The Msikaba bridge is a cable-stayed bridge, spanning the Msikaba River, near Lusikisiki. The bridge features two identical, inverted Y-shaped, reinforced concrete pylons. Each of the 127m tall pylons comprises two inclined legs, straddling the roadway, and a tall cylindrical spire. The spires have a diameter of 6m at the bifurcation, where the two legs meet, tapering to 4.5m at the top. Anchored into each pylon are 17 pairs of main stay cables (connected to the deck) and 17 pairs of back stay cables (anchored 130m behind the structure).
