Construction of Kazungula Bridge to start in July

Boitshepo Majube | Friday March 28, 2014 14:17

 

Their evaluation of the Kazungula Bridge and railway project technical proposals was completed in December 2013.

However, the communiqué stated that the groundbreaking ceremony to signal the commencement of the proposed multi-million dollar Kazungula Bridge and railway project, which was supposed to be held on March 28, has been delayed and will be announced in July 2014. The project is located on the North-South corridor and is specifically located at the border between Botswana and Zambia on the Zambezi River in Kazungula. The civil works comprise the construction of a 923 metre long by 18.5metre wide rail/road bridge, two one stop border facilities and access roads and ramps across the Zambezi River.

The project is funded by loans from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB), and contributions from both the governments of Botswana and Zambia.

The statement also says that a lot of progress has been made in the procurement process for a works contract. “Out of 26 companies that expressed interest to participate in the project, three had been shortlisted to bid for the project. These include China Major Bridge Engineering Corporation, Shimuzu-Stefanutti Joint Venture and Daewoo E & R,” the communiqué stated.

It further states that the evaluation of the technical proposals was completed in December 2013, and it is expected that works for the construction of the bridge will commence on July 12, 2014.

“The two ministers expressed their pleasure in the transparent manner in which the evaluation process was handled,” it said. It says the two ministers noted that the Kazungula Bridge project was long overdue, and said the commencement of the project is a major milestone for the SADC region as a whole.

The bridge is of strategic importance to the economic integration of, not only Botswana and Zambia, but also the SADC region as a whole. The bridge will provide the much-needed connection between the regional economic areas, and will also link regional ports, which handle all exports and imports from and through Botswana and Zambia.

The construction of the Kazungula Bridge will also address the challenges imposed by the existing ferry service, which is a major bottleneck to trade and smooth flow of people, goods and services.

It is also expected that the bridge will further enhance transportation operations along the regional North-South Corridor, which links the mineral rich regions of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo to Botswana, Zimbabwe and the port of Durban in South Africa.