Infrastructure Projects The Maputo-Catembe Bridge When the Maputo-Catembe Bridge was officially opened on November 10, 2018, it meant more to most Mozambicans than outsiders looking in could know. The project had first been mooted approximately 30 years before, but several years of economic, social and political upheaval meant construction works were always put on hold. For Mozambicians, its arrival stood for a new era of optimism for their country and the end of civil war politics. A total of 187 kilometres of road were added at either side of the bridge - the biggest suspension bridge in Africa - making the capital much more accessible than ever before. The bridge and its adjoined road network also cuts the journey time between Maputo and the border with South Africa by 4.5 hours to just 90 minutes. The first direct bus route between Durban and Maputo opened up months after the bridge opened.
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BE SPECIAL REPORT [ MOZAMBIQUE ]
The MPDC Master Plan The bridge, however, is just the centerpiece of a range of large infrastructure projects in Mozambique which will shift its trade potential up a gear. The Maputo Port Development Company (MPDC) was the country’s biggest investor in infrastructure between 2012 and 2016. Its Master Plan envisages $2 billion in logistics infrastructure development, approximately $1 billion of which has already been delivered. The fact that the MPDC is effectively a joint venture between the Mozambican Railway Company, (Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique) and several private players in shipping and logistics, means that there’s much more joined-up thinking in infrastructure development in Mozambique than one might expect. Now, the railway company - which has doubled its freight within a year - has a direct interest in the performance of the ports and vice-versa.
