Africa-Press – Mozambique. Road traffic on the Búzi river bridge could resume by December, the work now being 85% complete.
Project coordinator André Vilanculos said, on the recent visit of the Secretary of State for Sofala, Stella Zeca, that the last of the 23 pillars needed for the infrastructure had been situated, marking a decisive phase in the concreting of the 23 spans, of which four are missing.
The bridge connecting Guara-Guara and Bândua on the Tica-Búzi-Nova-Sofala road, will be 700 meters long.
With regard to the 134-kilometre road project, the expansion and asphalting works, underway since 2018 at a cost of US$118 million (7.6 billion meticais) and financed by the Exim-Bank da India, are currently at 55% completion.
Executed by Indian contractor AFLONS under the supervision of WAPIOS, the project should have been completed last April, but deadlines were stretched to July 2022 after the passage of tropical cyclones Idai, Chalane and Eloise.
These phenomena had a negative impact on the project, forcing the elevation of the platform quota and an increase in components unforeseen in the initial sketch.
Covid-19 also caused a setback in the works, especially in the import of materials from India.
The Secretary of State for Sofala province expressed satisfaction at the progress of work, 20 kilometres having already been paved. However, there was a need for greater speed, especially given the approach of the rainy season in October.
Stela Zeca pointed out that the completion of the work will grant the coastal district of Búzi greater socio-economic development, boosting trade and the free movement of people and goods.
Búzi has potential in agriculture, livestock, fishing, guano in the Estaquinha caves, oilseed, and tourism in the Mwenhe-Mukuro Sanctuary, in the administrative post of Nova-Sofala.
By
Joaquim Sitefane
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