The construction of the Inhaca Island jetty, located in Maputo Bay and considered the largest of its kind in the world, has already reached 50% physical completion and currently employs 140 Mozambican workers. The project, launched a year ago, is financed by the Maputo Port Development Company (MPDC), concessionaire of the capital’s port, and represents an investment of 853.2 million meticais (USD 13.5 million), according to Lusa.
In the marine section, 225 piles with encased columns have been completed, and the concreting phase and load capacity tests are underway. Simultaneously, work is progressing on installing the deck beams and preparing for the assembly of the docking pontoons. On the land side, construction of the retaining wall and filling for the access road continues, with the first 100 of the projected 350 meters expected to be completed by the third week of November.
With a total length of 936 meters, the new structure will replace the old jetty, which has been closed since 2013 due to severe deterioration and measured only 120 meters. Unlike the previous pedestrian-only structure, the new jetty is designed to accommodate both pedestrians and vehicles, including emergency vehicles up to five tons, ensuring accessibility at any tide level.
The project is being carried out by the state-owned Chinese company China Road and Bridge Corporation and is expected to be completed by March 2026. Beyond its functional value, the jetty is part of a package of six social projects funded by the MPDC, developed in the context of the extension of the port concession until 2058.
According to former President Filipe Nyusi, who laid the foundation stone in November 2024, the project aims to boost tourism, trade, and scientific research on Inhaca Island, home to more than 6,000 residents. The MPDC described the new jetty as “an investment measured not only in meters or concrete, but above all in dignity, inclusion, and opportunity.”
Meanwhile, Transport and Communications Minister João Matlombe highlighted the use of local labor and adherence to deadlines as indicators of the project’s positive social and economic impact on the lives of the island’s inhabitants.
Source: Diário Económico
