Billions promised, bridges collapsing

Good afternoon. Mozambique is becoming a country of billion-dollar announcements. President Daniel Chapo has outlined investments and investment plans exceeding $7.5bn in the Maputo, Beira and Nacala transport corridors, intended to transform them into engines of regional trade and industrial development. Yet the country is struggling to keep its existing roads and bridges open.

On Wednesday, the temporary metal bridge over the Revuè River, on the road between Chimoio and Sussundenga in Manica province, collapsed again, just six days after reopening. A truck carrying sand or stones crossed the bridge, damaging the structure and once more disrupting traffic. Whether the vehicle exceeded the bridge's 30-tonne weight limit remains to be established.

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The incident illustrates weaknesses in Mozambique's infrastructure management. Emergency bridges intended as temporary solutions remain in service long after they should have been replaced. Repairs offer little lasting protection if vehicle weight limits are not enforced.

The problem extends well beyond Manica. The N1, Mozambique's principal north-south highway, is in a deplorable condition along substantial stretches. The first $400m phase of a World Bank-backed rehabilitation programme has been discussed for years, but improvements remain far short of what is needed.