The government of Botswana has contracted an Italian joint venture company to construct the iconic, 1.2-km-long, cable-stayed Mohembo bridge across the Okavango River, which promises to be an additional tourist attraction in the Okavango Delta.
In a statement, the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Board (PPADB) said the Itinera-Cimolai Joint Venture, would take at least 36 months to build the bridge, which will be anchored on pillars that will be shaped like elephant tusks.
Itinera SPA is a civil engineering contractor, while Cimolai is a major Italian steel manufacturer specialising in structures which include bridges, industrial and civic buildings among other heavy structural engineeringprojects.
Plans for the construction of the iconic bridge were first mooted 31 years ago but it has been postponed countless times since then, owing to financial problems. The bridge will be built at an estimated cost of P1-billion.
The 1.2-km-long bridge would include up to 3 km of roads. The main features will comprise a 400 m cable stayed bridge over the main channel and an incrementally-landed pre-stressed concrete-box girder bridge.
The project also entails the construction of 3 km of tarred approach roads, associated storm-water drainage works, electrical installations and street lighting along the network of approach roads.
