The government has earmarked 52 million meticals for the consultancy services that will develop the preliminary project and supervise the construction of a new bridge over the Save River.
According to Noticias, the infrastructure will link the districts of Massingir, in Gaza province, to Mussurize and Machaze, in Manica, creating an alternative route to the National Road Number One (N1).
This new bridge is in line with the government’s strategy to reduce the country’s dependence on the N1, the main road between southern and northern Mozambique. The alternative road that will be developed will play a crucial role in improving connectivity between these regions, passing through towns such as Macie, Chókwè, Guijá, Mabalane, Mapai, Massingir, Mussurize, Chimoio, and reaching Muxúnguè or Inchope. With this new route, the distances travelled by those travelling from the north of Gaza province will be significantly reduced.
The consultancy services already awarded include drawing up the preliminary design for the bridge and supervising its construction, including the accesses on the R441 road, which crosses the provinces of Gaza and Manica. Civil e Planning Group Moçambique was selected to carry out this contract.
The construction of this new infrastructure could be included in the government’s next Five-Year Programme, to be discussed and approved by Parliament. The aim of this integration is to ensure that the necessary funds are allocated to carry out the project, which is considered vital for improving the mobility of people and the transport of goods between the south and centre of the country.
The process of mobilising funding for the construction of the bridge is already underway, as the authorities recognise the urgent need to diversify transport routes in Portugal. Dependence on the N1 has led to traffic difficulties, especially when there are problems or interruptions affecting the only main road linking the south and north of the country.
