Name of the Project
N2 Wild Coast Toll Road (N2WCTR) megabridge project – Mtentu bridge. 

Location
The bridge will be built over the  Mtentu river gorge, near Lusikisiki, in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province.

Project Owner/s
South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral).

Project Description
The  Mtentu bridge forms part of the N2WCTR project.

The 1.13-km-long bridge, which includes a 260-m-long main span, will be one of the longest main-span-balanced cantilever bridges in the world. Only ten prestressed concrete girder bridges worldwide have a main span of 260 m or longer. Reaching heights of more than 220 m above the river valley, it will displace the Bloukrans bridge, in the Western Cape, as the highest bridge in Africa and the southern hemisphere. The 141-m-tall Pier No 9 (equivalent to a 40-storey building in height) will also be the tallest bridge pier in Africa and the southern hemisphere.

Consequently, the construction of the Mtentu bridge is technically a highly challenging project, with its remote location and local social dynamics adding to its complexity.

Potential Job Creation
About R113-million (4% CPG) of the contract value has been allocated to targeted local labour and R863-million (30,5% CPG) for subcontracting to targeted enterprises.

To date, R230-million has been spent on 40 targeted enterprises comprising 13 Women and 3 Youth owned local enterprises. About R87-million has been spent on wages for local labour, in addition to the targeted spend.

Of the 603 full-time-equivalent jobs that have been created on the Mtentu bridge to date, 441 are occupied by locals.

Capital Expenditure
R4.05-billion.

Planned Start/End Date
Construction started in August 2023.

At the time, construction of the bridge was expected to take 50 months, with completion targeted for the end of 2027; however, the project has faced several delays. 

Latest Developments
There has been another delay, with Sanral citing unforeseen construction challenges.

Sanral spokesperson Lwando Mahlasela said in March that work on site had fallen behind schedule, owing to unforeseen circumstances encountered during the construction of the snaking access roads to all bridge piers on the northern and southern sides. These difficulties pertain to geotechnical, drainage and slope-stability issues.

The contractor has submitted a formal motivation for the delay, which is under review, in line with the provisions of the contract. 

No revised completion date has yet been confirmed.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
Dissing+Weitling (bridge design); Mota-Engil Construction South Africa and China Communications Construction Company (main contractors); and HVA JV (Msikaba and Mtentu bridge consultants comprising CH2M and SMEC). 

Adjacent Contracts
WBHO/H&I JV (main contractor), Knight Piésold (lead consultant – Msikaba to Mtentu); and KBK Engineers (lead consultant – Mtentu to Kulumbe).

Contact Details for Project Information
Sanral, email pressoffice@nra.co.za.