The three-year construction of the 825-m-long, 90-m- high Senqu Bridge is set to start soon, following the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority’s (LHDA’s) awarding of the M2-billion construction contract to a multinational consortium.

The LHDA selected Italy-based Webuild, South African firms Raubex Construction and Enza Construction, and Lesotho-based Sigma Construction, which collectively form the WRES Senqu Bridge Joint Venture (JV).

The WRES JV includes South African, Lesotho and international companies, in line with the requirements of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) Phase II Agreement.

Subcontractors include South African firms EXR Construction and Post Tensioning and Structural Solutions, Austria’s Gleitbau-Geselschaft and France-based Freyssinet International.

The Senqu Bridge is the largest of the three bridges that will be constructed under Phase II to span the Polihali reservoir and is larger than the Mphorosane Bridge on the Malibamatso river, which spans the Katse dam and was constructed under Phase I of the LHWP.

The bridge’s design has taken into consideration the Mokhotlong highlands’ long, cold and harsh winter conditions.

“Experience and expertise are crucial in delivering a sophisticated, technically challenging project of this kind, which will be a first for the LHWP and Lesotho. The Senqu Bridge will not only form part of the safe and efficient road infrastructure network constructed under Phase II but will be a major tourist attraction contributing to long-term benefits in stimulating sustainable economic growth,” says Phase II divisional manager Ntsoli Maiketso.

The Polihali reservoir in the valleys and tributary catchments of the Senqu, Khubelu, Mokhotlong, Moremoholo and Sehong-hong rivers, which will be formed by the construction of the Polihali dam, will have a surface area of about 5 000 ha.

Besides the three major bridges, the restoration of access across the reservoir also entails the construction of new approach road sections to the bridges that tie into the exiting A1 road, which is the main road between the Mokhotlong district in the mountainous north-east of the country and the capital city of Maseru.

Work on the bridge design started in 2018, led by Zutari, formerly Aurecon Lesotho.

Zutari also designed the 120 m Mabunyaneng bridge and the 270 m Khubelu bridge, the other two major bridges to be constructed under Phase II.

The tenders for the two-year construction of each of these two bridges are currently under evaluation.

The Senqu, Mabunyaneng and Khubelu bridges, on the A1 national route, the main access road between Oxbow and Mokhokong, are to be reconstructed to higher levels to avoid the flooding of the existing bridges and roads following the impoundment of the Polihali dam.