China has agreed to finance a bridge over the Bay of Maputo, which will link the centre of the Mozambican capital to the district of Catembe on the southern side of the bay. Until now the project had been funded by the Portuguese government but due to its economic situation it has had to renege on the deal, leaving China to take over.
The $300 million scheme involves the construction of a 2,700m long bridge, which will be 48 metres high to allow the largest ships to pass under it.
Also included as part of the deal is a tarred road from Catembe to the southern resort of Ponta do Ouro, located on the border of the South African province of Kwazulu-Natal. The entire project is due to be completed by 2014.
Currently commuters from Catembe to Maputo rely on a single ferry which is known to be slow and inefficient.
The Catembe bridge is believed to have been one of the main projects that Mozambique’s president Armando Guebuza sought to negotiate with China during his recent state visit.
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