The Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Mozambique plans to launch, in “early 2026,” the tender for the design and construction of the bridge over the Licungo River — one of the main projects funded under the U.S. $500 million aid package.
The information appears in a “pre-announcement” of the tender published by MCA Mozambique, which results from the compact approved by the administration of the U.S. agency Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). The project specifically foresees the construction of a new bridge and a bypass on National Road 1 (N1), where it crosses the Licungo River near Mocuba, in Zambézia Province.
The Mozambique Compact — the second with the country since 2007 — financed by the MCC, includes three structural projects: the Rural Connectivity and Transport (CTR) project, a coastal resilience initiative, and agricultural reform and investment programs.
“The existing Licungo River bridge is congested, has exceeded its lifespan, and is no longer fit for purpose. It has been damaged twice by floods since its construction in the 1940s, and there are no practical alternative crossings for heavy trucks when it is damaged by flooding.”
The CTR project, according to the announcement, therefore includes the construction of a new bridge measuring 1.8 kilometers in length, about five kilometers downstream from the existing one, along with 16 kilometers of new access roads to connect the bridge to the N1.
The MCC’s board of directors decided to move forward with the Compact after a review process, the U.S. Embassy in Maputo announced last September.
At that time, following the External Assistance Review, the MCC board met in August “and recommended proceeding with Mozambique’s Connectivity and Coastal Resilience Compact.”
The funding, known as Compact II, was signed on September 20, 2023, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., in the presence of Mozambique’s then-president, Filipe Nyusi, during the previous U.S. administration led by Joe Biden, later succeeded by Republican Donald Trump.
MCA had initially planned to launch the tender for the new Licungo River bridge at the beginning of this year, according to an announcement reported last December by Lusa, but that did not occur.
Zambézia Province is the focus of this U.S. $500 million (432.2 million euros) MCC project — an external aid agency funded by the U.S. government that provides grants to developing countries — supplemented by the Mozambican government’s contribution of U.S. $37.5 million (32.4 million euros).
This second Compact with Mozambique aims to improve rural transport networks, promote commercial agriculture through policy and fiscal reforms, and strengthen coastal livelihoods through climate resilience initiatives.
The MCC is allocating U.S. $310.5 million (268.5 million euros) to Rural Connectivity and Transport (CTR) projects, including the Licungo River bridge and the construction of the Mocuba bypass, a project valued at U.S. $201 million (173.7 million euros).
For rural road construction, nearly U.S. $83.5 million (72.1 million euros) are earmarked, and another U.S. $11 million (9.5 million euros) are set aside for road maintenance, among other initiatives.
The Reforms and Investment in Agriculture Projects (PRIA) component will receive U.S. $30 million (25.9 million euros), half of which is intended for agricultural investment tax reform, and the other half for the establishment of the Zambézia Province Commercial Aggregation Platform.
The third component, worth U.S. $100 million (86.4 million euros), is dedicated to Coastal Livelihood and Climate Resilience (CLCR) projects aimed at enhancing productivity “through sustainable increases in fish and shellfish catches and through non-extractive activities.”
